Kagome Hurt
by Sierra-Falls
Summary: After repeated betrayals by those closest to her heart, Kagome comes into her own, and a certain someone has problems with his attraction.
1. Kagome Hurt

Chapter One: Kagome Hurt  
  
"What do you mean, "clumsy, stupid and weak?!?"  
  
"I mean that you cost us that Shikon shard back there! If you hadn't tripped right into the youkai's claws, I wouldn't have had to forgo the shard to save your sorry hide! I mean, even though she hates me, Kikyou is a better Miko than you, Kagome! Why the hell couldn't I get stuck with a stupid, USEFUL girl instead of a stupid, clumsy one?!"  
  
With the gleam of tears at the back of her eyes, Kagome asks InuYasha one last thing. "Is she really a better Miko than me?"  
  
Not noticing a thing, in the usual Takahashi style, InuYasha laughs. "Ha! Kikyou is dead, and she's more of a woman than you are! She's your better in every way!"  
  
"Fine, then! Go to your precious Kikyou. I hope her arrows find their way into your heart! Oh, wait. You don't have one. I'm leaving!"  
  
And with that, Kagome flees down the path they were once walking on toward Kaede's hut. InuYasha is a little nonplussed, but shrugs it off. "Pah, she'll go tell her woes to the dried up woman, and then we'll get back to hunting shards together."  
  
InuYasha is of course ignoring the little stabbings in his heart. (He does have one by the way, folks) Rubbing his chest area, InuYasha first wonders what he ate that disagreed with him. Then he thinks about what had just transpired.  
  
"Ha! At least the bitch didn't use that 'sit' thing! My day is getting better after losing that shard."  
  
And so our clueless, lovable, stubborn idiot of a hanyou went on his merry way. Little did InuYasha know, Kagome ran with tears streaming, past the village, past Kaede's hut and in the direction of the BoneEater's Well.  
  
InuYasha had hit Kagome's private fears with his dig about Kikyou. She thought that she wasn't needed, and that the dog demon would go back to the dead Miko, preferring a dead person that hated him-to her, a girl that loved him.  
  
Kagome's tears blinded her to the slap of branches and twigs, the roots that sought to trip her, and the looming form of InuYasha's half-brother, Sesshoumaru.  
  
With an 'oof' and a backwards sprawling motion, Kagome came to a stop at the feet of Sesshoumaru, the Youkai lord that seemed bound and determined to kill them all.  
  
Surprisingly, she felt no fear at this new threat. She was too angry at InuYasha to be concerned about her own life.  
  
Kagome's musings were interrupted by the cold, remote words issued from the form in front of her. "Where are you going?"  
  
Sesshoumaru could not believe his luck. But then again, he had always had everything go his way before he became involved with his mongrel brother, why should now be any different? He now had a way to force InuYasha to give up Tetsusaiga once and for all.  
  
Sesshoumaru knew that InuYasha had feelings for the human at his feet, and what better way of twisting the figurative dagger even further than to subvert her. But what she said next startled Sesshoumaru, not much mind you, but just a little.  
  
"I'm going home!"  
  
His automatic response to this tidbit of information was, "Where is home?"  
  
Sesshoumaru figures that if he knew where the human lived, he could show up and (AN: *cough* *cough* *court*) torment Kagome any time he wanted at her home while InuYasha could not do a thing.  
  
With Kagome's next words, Sesshoumaru saw all of his hopes dashed.  
  
"Home is far away where nothing will ever hurt me again! Where that bastard you call a half-brother will never be able to find me, and where I'll never have to deal with this Kami forsaken land again!"  
  
Wait, this wasn't supposed to happen?! How could he use Kagome as bait if she went so far away as to never have to deal with InuYasha again? This was unacceptable! Sesshoumaru had to do something or else all of his plans were to come to naught.  
  
But beneath his determination to get the best of his half brother, Sesshoumaru was surprised.  
  
He never thought that InuYasha's woman would run, nor had he thought that she would be this beautiful even in the midst of tears. Somehow they got to him, made him want to reach out and brush the crystalline drops away.  
  
Kagome saw her chance to escape when the Inu-jerk's brother seemed suddenly preoccupied with his own thoughts. In a quick twisting motion, Kagome jerks out of his grip and makes a dash towards the well, which is only a few yards away.  
  
Sesshoumaru, who was quite surprised by this move, blurred and appeared inches in front of his suddenly illusive quarry, who runs into his embrace.  
  
With an 'oof' from her, Sesshoumaru picked up his light burden and sped off into the forest.  
  
Trees whiz by as Sesshoumaru wondered what came over him. He never does things like this. Impulsiveness was his brother's department, not his own. But he did accomplish what he set out to do.  
  
He now had something to hold over InuYasha, which was his wench. He knew that the mongrel 'liked' her, so maybe he would be willing to trade Tetsusaiga to get her back.  
  
One never knew what the impulsiveness of youth would engender. He just might get his father's sword. He would write a letter to InuYasha, telling him of his demands, and they will just see who would get what.  
  
(good place to end chapter one.) 


	2. Kagome Defiant

Disclaimers are not my strong suit, so you better believe me when I say that I do not own any of these characters.at least not yet. and I'm pretty sure I'm ripping off someone else's story ideas and mixing them into my own. Please don't sue me. I'll sic ..well, somebody on you.  
  
Chapter Two. Kagome Defiant  
  
Everything was a long smear of green. From her position slung over Sesshoumaru's shoulder, Kagome could not see anything but green, green and more green. It was making her green.  
  
Even after traveling like this for a good two and a half hours, she could not squirm free, or even get leverage to make things uncomfortable for her captor. Plus the fact that all of that time was spent upside down made her feel very disoriented, and a little sick.  
  
Good thing that his tail was so fluffy. (Couldn't help that)  
  
Kagome could not fathom why the greatly feared lord of the West would kidnap her if not to force InuYasha to give up that damn sword.  
  
She also had the feeling that things would not go very well for her when Sesshoumaru realized that his brother would not be coming after the "human bitch" and willing to trade their father's fang for her.  
  
'But you know what, girl,' she thought to herself, 'it does not matter anyway, since you will be just as gone. The only thing that does matter is showing that jerk he was wrong. He called me clumsy, did he? Weak and stupid also. Well there is a way to fix that. If Sesshoumaru does not kill me as soon as we arrive at wherever we are going, then I shall find a way to train myself into never having to rely on anyone again.'  
  
Sesshoumaru was having a private conversation of his own at the same time.  
  
'Good. I'll just ensconce her in the castle, and after letting the mongrel stew for a few days, then I'll let him know that I have his wench. He'll come storming around and become careless with the sword. That's when I'll get him. Feh."  
  
Speeding along airways that only he knew about, Sesshoumaru made his way with his baggage along the last leg of the journey to his domain. They had been on his lands for the last hour and it would take about fifteen minutes, even at the velocity he was going at, to reach the gates.  
  
He was also getting a little worried. The wench had stopped wriggling, and lay quiescent in his grip.  
  
Normally he would be smirking inwardly at the apparent disheartening the wench had undergone, but after a few run ins with the mongrel and his motley band, the lord yokai knew better.  
  
She was planning something, and he needed to find out what before it became a nuisance.  
  
He also needed to sort out why his instincts urged him to tighten his hold around her waist and pull her more fully into his arms. 'Feh, stupid instincts are more reminiscent of the mongrel. Everything with him is ruled by such raw emotion.'  
  
Kagome decided to start her lessons by learning from the best. Now who was one of the strongest, least weak yokai that she knew and had access to so as to model herself after.  
  
Pondering this for the last few minutes before landing in a courtyard in front of an immense castle, Kagome subconsciously started running her hands along the sumptuous pelled fur that she lay on.  
  
'Of course! Who else but Sesshoumaru?'  
  
He was the scariest, the strongest, and the least weak entity that she knew, and since she was his captive, she would be able to observe his habits and make them her own.  
  
She confirmed her choice in model when they landed, because an entire entourage of youkai rushed up to the aloof figure of Sesshoumaru and bowed or kneeled in obeisance to him.  
  
He had kept an iron grip on her wrist even after he slung her off of his shoulder and looked at her with hooded eyes while he gave his orders to his household.  
  
"Have the west room prepared for occupation. Jakin, search the attics for the mongrel's mother's clothes."  
  
Glancing around at the rest of the assembled youkai, he added, "Tomorrow I will begin judging the pleas that have built up, but for the rest of the day, you will go about normal maintenance chores."  
  
An obsequies chorus resounded. "Yes, lord Sesshoumaru-sama!" before running off to do their master's bidding.  
  
All the while that the Youkai lord was stating his orders, his grip never loosened, and his piercing golden eyes never left Kagome's face. "You, human, will be residing in the palace for some time. I suggest that you do not try to escape, for the lesser youkai will probably kill you if they see you out unattended."  
  
Although she still felt a bit sick from her impromptu flight across the forests, Kagome felt a hint of iron infuse her backbone. No more was she going to show weakness to anyone. Especially not to Inu-jerk's older sanctimonious brother!  
  
Staring up into his eyes, Kagome defiantly held her head up high and retorted in a cool voice, "You, youkai, will come to regret ever holding me here. I suggest that you find an alternative measure to getting what you want from your .brother."  
  
Of course, this startled Sesshoumaru, even though his own control would not allow anything but a flicker run through his eyes. The girl held spirit, even in the clutches of one of the greatest taiyoukai that time had ever seen.  
  
Her eyes flashed stormily when the youkai lord refrained from replying. Her body tensed in anger, and her scent was awash with jasmine and night. (Sorry, I am a shameless klepto and this was from another story. :-P ) It would be so like one of InuYasha's family to have the ability to annoy her to death.  
  
Sesshoumaru could smell the power that rose up in her scent in proportion to the anger the wench was emitting. An interesting turn of fate.  
  
From what he had seen of the situations the hanyou and his wench got into, they each were able to grow stronger when certain stimulus were triggered. The mongrel when the girl was in trouble, and the wench when she was angered, scared, or annoyed. Just look at the times when his brother stuck his foot in the mouth.  
  
The wench would then get annoyed enough to grow in power and yell out a word that would bring the mutt to his knees, or rather his face. It would do well for him to not place himself in such a predicament then.  
  
However, if the opposite occurred, and she ended up in his own way, then he, Sesshoumaru, would do the world a favor and kill the miko, Tetsusaiga or not!  
  
Nodding to himself, Sesshoumaru inwardly congratulated his fine thinking before tugging the finely boned wrist he held towards the entrance to his castle.  
  
--------- Sorry this chappie was so short, guys, but ideas and other stories are trying to force their way out of my head, and I need to prioritize with school.  
  
I would like to take the time to thank the reviewers who took the time to comment upon my work. I know I have been terrible at updating, and I will try to rectify such a mistake on a regular basis. I can only plead homework overload due to my new college.  
  
Zelda Gwyn - I am writing as fast as I can, when I can. Please please bear with me, and review again, when my new chappie is out! Dark Star - *cringes under the lash and cries out "Yes master! The story will be worked on!* Inu-baby - I'm so sorry that I haven't updated..see Zelda Gwyn above. A thousand apologies. Voldersnort - I'm glad you like the plot. I do too. Keep reviewing! Mysticnite - small hint of fluffiness coming up next chappie DemonBlade - I don't know why, but this Kagome is being written with an emphasis of how I would react to such a situation. Very arrogant, yes, but I can't stand how she's so .helpless. 


	3. Kagome Learns

Kagome began her new life in the castle with a stumble and a jerk. The jerk was Sesshoumaru, and the stumble was when he pulled her towards the door. Recovering was only a matter of placing a hand on the jerk's shoulder and gripping the fluffy tail for balance.  
  
Of course, this resulted in Sesshoumaru stopping and turning his head, ever so slightly to pierce her with his cold, golden eyes.  
  
Kagome refused to look cowed. She had had enough of that while traveling with InuYasha. If it was her time to go, then there was nothing she could do about it.. yet.  
  
She did, however, remove her hand under the silent reproach of the figure in front of her. They resumed their way through the door and into an immense foyer of smooth marble and exquisite textured woodwork. Kagome also noted the fact that although they were moving at a brisk pace, Sesshoumaru no longer was gripping her wrist with the intent to bruise it.  
  
Passing through an entry to the left, the silent pair entered a long hallway that Kagome assumed was the west wing. She had the feeling that unless she spoke up soon, she would spent the next few days confined and alone in wait of a non-existant answer from InuYasha. She had to ask, and soon.  
  
There's no time like the present.  
  
"Ano, Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
Silence greeted her, so she waited a bit longer. More silence.. Time to try again.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Doors were being passed, and the hallways stretched for ages.  
  
Obviously more drastic measures needed to be taken.  
  
"Hey! Fluffy!" caused a tightening of the hand on her wrist and a quiet, venomous, "What?!"  
  
"Does your palace come equipped with an arms-master?"  
  
"." A long, pregnant pause filled the air, and then, chillingly, but curiously, "Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Ano." Quick nitwit! Think of an answer to explain why you want to be taught self-defense without him getting suspicious! "Ano, since it might be a while before Inu-jerk gets around to coming over to you, I think that I could stay out of your way easier if I was occupied by something useful."  
  
"You cannot find yourself some sewing or other mortal woman's work?" Kagome bristled at that. No self-respecting 20th century girl would let that comment go! "If you must know, Sesshoumaru-sama, it might do you well if I were taught to defend myself."  
  
Smirking abounds on icy chiseled features. "And why is that?"  
  
Tossing a smirk of her own, since she had long consigned herself to not worrying about the immediate status of her life, she replied, "If ever there was an attack, one of your precious youkai would not have to be detailed to guarding this worthless human investment of yours."  
  
Sesshoumaru was startled that a human could come up with such sound logic. Really, he could not find fault with her freeing up his menials in these times of crisis in return for a few hours of teaching. Of course, he would not send his master at arms to teach the worthless girl. No, he would have.Another faint grin slashed across his features.The perfect teacher ready for her in the morning.  
  
--Good place for a cliffhanger, no? --  
  
Ah yes, I am a little snot. All flames will be fed to .damn, what does happen to the flames? Maybe if I ignore them, they will flicker out into oblivian.Eh, I dunno. Sorry ppl for this short chappy. It was just to get the creative juices flowing again after finals and midterms. Damn that college damn them! Please please please review. I wanna hear some suggestions to where I should take this. I know I said that it might be Sess/Kag/Inu, but I'm not sure where to insert Inu back in. Taskite!!! 


	4. Kagome Meets

Chapter 4: Kagome Meets  
  
Her room was nothing more than a scant few paces in length and wide enough only to make room for the futon and a low table that would serve as both nightstand and eating area. Colored only with white-wash and plaster, the only hints of life in the room was a shallow vase on the table filled unto bursting with riotous greenery and flowers.  
  
If Sesshoumaru sought to dishearten her with these bare surroundings, he would have another thing coming. This would be a safe haven from the new life she found herself in at the palace. Kagome had noted that although there was a bolt on the outside of her western styled door, another locking mechanism could also be found on her side of the portal as well....Well, not that it would do her much good if a determined youkai wanted in, but it would make her feel better.  
  
Sesshoumaru had long since left, instructions to make herself presentable for supper ringing in her ears. Kagome could almost swear she heard something about 'smelling tears and night, sorrows and jasmine' or something like that. She, of course, took it to meant that her captor, *ahem* host, thought that she smelled.  
  
Looking around her new dwellings one last time, Kagome turned to the door with the intent of finding the baths. *She had fallen down a couple of times, folks, and remember, she had been carted about at high speeds for a few hours now, so our heroine was understandably disheveled. * Just as her hand reached for the door, though, it opened on its own accord, and what seemed to be a moving mound of mothballed clothes shoved itself in. What followed the yards of fabric was a diminutive female figure who paused at the entrance to put down her own load of clothes and stretch her back.  
  
Kagome, although finding nothing to say at the moment, could not help but eye the now apparent youkai female with an arched brow and a wary gesture toward the clothes.  
  
The small youkai with a cap of brunette curls finished her stretch and looked up to the miko. Seeing the unspoken question in her eyes, she endeavored to answer. "Jakin's lazy."  
  
Kagome's other eyebrow joined the other in the general vicinity of her hairline.  
  
"Jakin was ordered by the master to dig out the clothing of the second wife of the old lord. He saw fit to set me that task when I passed him in the hall to ready your room. That is why you haven't a place to put your..Where are your things?"  
  
"What things?" "Well, when there is usually a guest, they tend to bring things!"  
  
"Ah, therein lies the difference..um, what do I call you?"  
  
"Marisa, my lady. I'm called Marisa, but what is this difference you speak of?"  
  
"Oh, I'm not a lady, Marisa, and as your nose has probably told you, I'm not youkai either. The difference of my situation and my lack of articles is simple. My name is Kagome, and up until recently, I have traveled and acted as a Shard Detector for your master's half-brother, InuYasha. I am not a guest, I'm a prisoner."  
  
Throughout Kagome's mini-speech, Marisa's face grew more and more surprised. "My lady! Rumors have run in the servants' quarters about the master's enemies and how they have foiled his plans again and again. Everybody has heard of the powerful ningens that travel with a kitsune cub who cover the arse of the lord's half brother. You're telling me that you're the miko of that powerful band?!"  
  
Kagome is astonished at this. She had no idea that their exploits were known or even commented on. Still keeping an eye on this Marisa, Kagome moved toward the closest pile of clothing with the intent to find something to change into after a bath.  
  
When Marisa saw her new charge's movement toward the clothes, she jumped forward in an effort to be of some help. This of course was misconstrued by Kagome who reacted by withdrawing and throwing up a hand glowing with her miko powers to ward off any coming attack.  
  
Marisa was understandably confused and paused with an old-styled kimono in her hands. "My lady?"  
  
Seeing no harm forthcoming, Kagome lowered her hand. Slightly embarrassed, slightly angered, she snapped, "What were you doing?!"  
  
Marisa was taken aback. "Trying to help you, my lady..with your new wardrobe?" She held out the dark blue silken kimono again.  
  
Chastened, Kagome moved forward again. "Sorry..Its just-"  
  
"Oh, I understand. Don't worry, I'm not offended. If I were ningens, Master forbid, and had to fight all manner of strange youkai, I'd be worried about any that happened to cross my path. But here now, I was assigned to see to you as if you were a guest, so we need to make you presentable for tonight's meal. Don't you think this would be nice to wear after a bath?" Marisa shook out the cloth again, mothballs tumbling to the floor. "Ano, doesn't it have to be aired?"  
  
"Don't worry, my lady, I'll see to it when you bathe."  
  
"Umm, about that..Where would I find a bath? I mean, I haven't seen a bathroom yet."  
  
"We have an enclosed hot springs on one of the lower floors, if you would follow me, Kagome-san?"  
  
As the maidservant led the way, she kept up a stream of chatter to the disheveled, yet silent figure that followed. Marisa was slightly in awe of the personage that dogged her steps. Who would have thought that she, Marisa, a lower castle chambermaid would be able to speak to the powerful miko Kagome on such familiar terms.  
  
In the regular rankings of youkai, Kagome's deeds had placed her in the lower levels of the general ruling youkai. Sesshoumaru, himself, was in the top layer as Lord of the Western Lands. 


	5. Kagome Trains

Kagome Trains  
  
A tangled burrow of cloth begins to shiver and shift about as the early morning light wafts in through a window high in the wall.  
  
More spurious action ensues as the entity under the covers realizes that she cannot escape her heated cocoon in which she had spent the night.  
  
What happens after is a violent tussle in which Kagome finally pierces a hole in her captor's smothering grasp. A lithe arm shoots upward into the chilly air, rather like in the horror flicks, before withdrawing back into the covers. A pert nose peeks through, followed by Kagome's sleep flushed face.  
  
For a minute, Kagome thought she was back at home, for she was lying on a futon and the windows were glazed with glass. She was soon brought back to the memories of last night as she realized that there was an armoire instead of a closet and a low table in place of a vanity.  
  
Kagome was at a loss.. She basically had been rejected by that jerk in favor of a long dead priestess, kidnapped by Inu-jerk's murderous half brother, and generally was treated better here, as Sesshoumaru's hostage. The youkai lord had fed her, clothed her, and was willing to have someone teach her to defend herself instead of yelling at her for the inconveniences she posed.  
  
At supper last night, Kagome found something she had thought left behind. A human child named Rin was seated beside Sesshoumaru at the table and would not stop chattering during the whole of the meal until the Taiyoukai told her to be quiet for five minutes. Silence fell and during that time, food was eaten with elegance, tea was drunk without slurping, and only the sound of chopsticks clicking against bowls was heard. And then the period passed.  
  
Five minutes, to the second, was all that Rin could stand, and as soon as the deadline was met, she felt free to bombard her new friend with questions and comments. She much preferred Kagome, a female, and human to boot, to Jakin, an old, miserly male youkai.  
  
Kagome had also promised to play with her the next day as soon as she finished her training for the morning.  
  
Speaking of training, Kagome felt that it was high time she got started for the day and presented herself for training. Sesshoumaru had stated near the end of the meal that her trainer would come to get her at her room the next morning. He had also looked at her after his statement, with his cold golden eyes, and Kagome could have sworn she had seen a spark of amusement flare before silky lashed eyelids hooded his gaze.  
  
Back to the fuzzy-headed, sleepy Kagome, who was now digging through her armoire for good practice clothes. A niggling little sense at the nape of her neck warned her that she was being watched 


	6. Kagome Surprises

Ahh, so this was the human that the lord Sesshoumaru wanted him to train...  
  
A shadow along the upper corner of the room shifted slightly when the human was turned towards the armoire. Entirely unsuspecting, the poor girl. No wonder the lord wanted her to have training. She was fair game to any half skilled youkai if they should come along. It was a miracle she survived even this long in these troubled times.  
  
Kagome, during her errant teacher's inner monologue, was using her miko senses to pinpoint where her would-be attacker was located. Although she did not know the youkai's exact thoughts, she had enough experience with the demon race to make a fair guess as to what was going on in its mind.  
  
To herself, she was muttering while she dug for training clothes. 'Damn thing is probably despairing at having being assigned to teach a "worthless" human. They all think that. Don't they realize that even with InuYasha as a protector, I would have to have some skills of my own, even though they are half-assed at best at the moment? Geez, what I wouldn't give to just-'  
  
Right in the middle of her own diatribe, she senses a lunging movement from behind her. With reflexes honed from evading Miroku's wandering hand, Kagome jerks to the side of the armoire door and hears a muffled thud as her assailant lands inside the open piece of furniture before slamming the doors shut and bracing the table against the handles.  
  
Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, Kagome keeps a hand on the table in case the youkai would try to break out of the wardrobe that way.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
Silence ensues for a few minutes. Then a distinct sound of knocking is heard from the inside of the wood.  
  
Debating whether or not to displace the supporting table, Kagome is interrupted by Marisa opening the door with an outfit designed with exercise in mind in her hands.  
  
The small youkai lifts an eyebrow at the sight of the barricaded wardrobe. "Did the clothes decide to bite, Kagome-san?"  
  
"Iie, Marisa-chan, I've a trapped peeping tom in here. A youkai was in my room when I awoke and decided to attack me when I was trying to find something to wear." She gestures with her free hand to the table. "As you can see, I gave it the slip."  
  
Hiding a chuckle, Marisa motions her new ward aside and removes the table. "Kagome-san, from what I can tell, you have just pulled one over your new training master."  
  
"..."  
  
"Don't worry, Kagome-san, I'm sure Hitori-san will not mind that this occurred. He may even respect you more because of it." As she was saying this, the fox demoness unlatched the doors and opened them for the ungangly exit of Hitori, Kagome's new trainer.  
  
Tumbling to the ground, a smallish demon was encased in wadded clothing before he shucked them off with all due haste. What was revealed to Kagome's discerning eyes was a diminutive, old, dog demon.  
  
"Hitori-san, I presume?" Kagome asks.  
  
Grumbling is heard. "Aye, young lady. That I am. But you must tell me how you were able to dodge..."  
  
"Oh, that! -"  
  
Marisa could not help but jump in to answer for her mistress. "She's a miko, Hitori. She probably could have blown you to smithereens with her miko powers if she wanted to. I mean, she almost got me too when I made the mistake of making a sudden move in her presence. I mean, wow, to be done away with by the miko of the Inu-tachi."  
  
The dog demon lifts a brow. "Er, that's quite enough, Marisa. I'm sure I can take it from here."  
  
Hearing the dismissal in his voice, Marisa looks to Kagome first for permission, gains it with her nod, and then leaves the room after pressing the exercise kimono she originally brought into Kagome's hands.  
  
"So, now girl. I take it you know that I am to train you in the art of self-defense?"  
  
"Hai, Hitori-san. Sesshoumaru has so deigned to assign me to you for such instruction." Mild sarcastic emphasis on the 'deigned' part, which Hitori picks up on.  
  
"Ah...Now to begin, might I ask what skills you do have. I was apparently mistaken earlier, thinking that I would have to start from the ground up."  
  
"Sure, Hitori-san. I am a fair archer, pretty good at dodging, and know how to fall down correctly in order to not hurt myself. Kami knows that I have had enough experience in that department to learn how to do it right. All in all, you'll pretty much have to go with your original plan, Hitori- san. Aside from that, I have no skills in combat."  
  
Hitori strokes his chin in thought, assessing her muscle tone and calculating possibilities with the speed with which she moved when evading him.  
  
"Well, we'll see, girl. Get dressed in that combat kimono, and I'll lead you to the training area. I'll be waiting for you outside the door, so hurry up."  
  
"Hai, I do that right away."  
  
Just after the door closes, Kagome goes to lock it before returning to the kimono laid out on the table. It is made with a sturdy silk and lined on the inside with a protective material. Kagome's magic senses tingled slightly as they told her that there was a minor protection spell also woven into the cloth. Colored mainly blue with purple trim, this kimono was short, coming only to about mid-thigh, and spit up the sides to her waist. The outfit also came with black leggings, with a purple trim also running up the outside seams of the legs. Black combat slippers, a purple sash to tie around the front, and a band for her hair completed the ensemble.  
  
Kagome was glad that she had relatively clean undergarments, because Marisa did not include them with her package. She did not want to be running around wearing nothing underneath with a whole bunch of unfamiliar youkai in the vicinity. Who knows where that might lead, especially if InuYasha would turn feral if it were 'that time of the month' for her.  
  
~-~-~-~ Sumimasen Minna for making you wait for this next chapter. I know this seems to be just a filler, but I've been working on the plot line for another story of mine. I hope ya'll can find it in your little hearts to forgive me, but my hopes are not high. I'm sure I'll be receiving a few flames for this, but they'll just go to feed the mutant bunnies. 


	7. Kagome Prepares

It certainly has been a while since I've posted another chapter, hasn't it? Ah, well...Gomen, and all of that. I'll try to do better, but no promises.  
  
Now where were we?  
  
Chapter 7 - Kagome Prepares  
  
A faint whistle slices through the air and a thump is heard coming from a building with the look of an old fashioned dojo.  
  
Inside, Kagome can be seen belly flat on the wooden floor and a diminutive ancient youkai holding a bo staff in a ready position.  
  
Hitori-san can be visualized if one can picture a conglomeration of Cologne and Happosai, in that the facial structure is very similar to a certain panty thief, but this male youkai has the long white hair of the Amazon elder. Hitori-san is also equipped with a pair of sharp ears, aged brown eyes, and only comes up to Kagome's mid-thigh.  
  
Kagome's torturous instructor relaxes from his stance and squats beside his student. Patting her arm elicits a groan of pain, but he has a pleased smile on his face. For one who professes to know noting of the art, she has a good grasp on its basics. He has never once had to correct her on her falling technique; she always lands without the possibility of breaking a bone.  
  
And those reflexes...What the old youkai wouldn't give to have some of his previous demon students contain an ounce of the reflexes that this ningen girl showed. Now if only he could have her harness the speed into offensive maneuvers.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-  
  
Kagome hurt all over. If this was just the beginning class, she didn't want to see what the final techniques and teaching strategies were.  
  
She could feel a certain amount of pride in something, however. All of her aches and pains were from a concentrated effort of movement and not from blows of the staff her teacher wielded. The miko always seemed to be able to dodge just enough to get out of the way.  
  
This meant that most of the time, she had been throwing herself to the ground more often than not, thus the assorted pain. Kagome felt it was well worth it, though, when her sensei smiled at her and helped her to regain her feet. They had been at this for most of the morning, and the appointed end of class was nigh.  
  
Hitori saw great potential in this girl, even if she was a human. He had heard of her treatment by the lord's half-brother, and still could not understand why the idiot would bypass such a useful resource that the miko could become with only a little training.  
  
From what she told him, Kagome was treated as a worthless china-doll, left to rot in the background, and become a liability if caught by an attacking youkai or evil human. He would make sure this situation would not happen again. Although this assignment was a sop to his old age, the once formidable retired master at arms still retained the knowledge it took to train another in the deadly skills of his craft. With such an apt pupil as Kagome at his disposal, Hitori-san would be able to mold an excellent warrior; one who might have been able to rival the great Sesshoumaru-sama if she were any but a human.  
  
With his own inner thoughts running their glorious patterns, Hitori missed Kagome's heartfelt thanks and disappearance. She still had an appointment to keep with Rin, out in the enclosed meadow under the tower that Sesshoumaru kept as his apartments.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Kagome had previously memorized the route she needed to take to get from the training hall to the place where she would pick up Rin.  
  
Skidding to a halt at a cross-section, Kagome's new combat garments fluttered around her in a slow motion display for secret eyes in the shadows.  
  
Kagome, although she could feel a youkai's aura, had momentarily placed her senses on hold, as she was in a castle entirely filled with the species. She was not stupid enough to completely ignore her abilities, so she left open the channel in her powers to sense immediate hostile intentions. No alarm was ringing in her head along that pathway, and the girl continued on her route to the meadow, leaving the watcher in the shadow.  
  
All is still for a moment after her departure before the silent eyes close and then open again. This would prove most intriguing if what the watcher sensed was true.  
  
The eyes close one last time and the being disappears from the shadows. A click is heard from the wall behind where the figure was standing, and a sliver of light momentarily outlines a doorframe before everything goes dark again.  
  
Ordinary shadows once again gather in peace in the dark corners of the castle, but this time, there is an air of expectation in one remote corner of the palace, along the route that a simple human girl had taken to meet with a friend. Something awaits the key presence needed for fate to step in and correct a trivial flaw and throw a huge wrinkle into the life of a certain demon lord.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Speaking of demons, one might wonder what a small kitsune cub thinks about the presence of his adoptive mother, or lack thereof.  
  
"Wah!!! I want Kagome!"  
  
"Shippo, don't worry, I bet that Kagome-sama is with Kaede and that there's - "Miroku is interrupted.  
  
"Miroku!" Shippo wails. "I've already been to Kaede's! She's not there, and she said she wasn't going home for another two days."  
  
"Umm, well..." The monk is clearly at a loss.  
  
Sango puts forth her own opinion. "Perhaps we should ask InuYasha. Maybe he knows where she is."  
  
Shippo jumps up and declares, "That must be it! Dog-turd must have said mean things to Kagome and now she's gone back to the well and left me here." The little demon pops into his pink balloon shape and goes floating off to find InuYasha.  
  
Miroku looks at Sango with a certain gleam in his eye and ooches closer. The exterminator narrows her own eyes and clenches a fist, popping knuckles in a clear warning.  
  
We now switch views to follow Shippo, our protagonist's adopted son.  
  
Floating among the foliage, Shippo uses his own sharp nose to detect where the hanyou has holed himself up.  
  
Stopping at a tree favored by the half demon for its view, Shippo looks up and spots a glimmer of white through the leaves. He mutters to himself, "Man, I wish I had Kagome's ability to sit that mutt. Then he'd be down here on my level..."  
  
InuYasha hears this and lands silently behind the little brat. Looming over him, the white-haired male virago shouts and scares the kid badly. "Whaddya mean 'I wish I could sit him'?!? And where is that worthless girl anyway? We have shikon shards to go find." 


	8. Kagome Threatens

Oh my, I almost forgot I had this story simmering on the back burner. Oh well, here's an updated chapter for you very nice and patient and appreciative and...what am I saying? You all probably forgot all about me! Meh, I'll just be quiet and write this chapter. Maybe I'll garner just a little interest.  
  
And thanks for those who have reviewed that last chapter. Encouragement coming my way is rarer than I would like, and anything is appreciated. Flames fed to the mutated bunnies, and perhaps the male virago.  
  
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 8  
  
It has been a full day since the Taiyoukai had last set eyes upon his newest acquisition.  
  
Sesshoumaru was tracking down his wayward ward in the 'informal' gardens for this day's evening meal at the moment, and he spent the time while traversing through endless halls rethinking his goals.  
  
All right, Lord of the Western Lands, what have you accomplished so far? Let's see. So far, I'm one arm short, have saved and mentor a ningen that was once kind to me, have two swords that either heal or destroy, and have kidnapped my half-brother's woman.  
  
The demon lord shakes his head at his thoughts before correcting a few flaws in his thinking.  
  
Let me put this in another light...I have my father's title; InuYasha does not. I have my father's lands; InuYasha does not. I do not have father's fang; InuYasha does. I have InuYasha's wench; InuYasha does not... There is something decidedly wrong with that statement.  
  
In the past, that mongrel has slain anything and everything that got between him and that girl. That means he likes her?  
  
Silky white hair shivers violently when the head it adorns shakes in the negative manner.  
  
No. All it concludes is that the mutt is possessive of her. She did not carry the mark of an Inu demon's mate, nor did she smell of him in the carnal sense. From previous revelations, I must think that she is nothing but a toy to him, or a possession. That sounds about right, and fits in with his actions. But why would he want a weak female, let alone a HUMAN female near him?  
  
Sesshoumaru exited a shogi door into the informal gardens and was caught up by the sight before him.  
  
Sitting composed upon a rock in the midst of a field of wildflowers was a vision in fighting silks. Long streamers of black hair flowed down the etherial being's shoulders to tease the wind, and an innocent sprite flitted about the meadow plucking flower after flower to add to the collection that the sprite and the lady had collected.  
  
With his breath caught in his chest, Sesshoumaru could only gaze at the pair before he was shook out of his reverie. The giant mound of plucked foliage shivered from beside the boulder the female in silks perched upon. From the depths of flowery scented vegetation, a face whose skin actually matched the greenery adorning it came to light with a squawk.  
  
Jakin, his worthless servant, tumbled out of his captor's green embrace and took it upon himself to scold the sprite he now recognized as his ward, Rin.  
  
The child just grinned angelically during the toad's tirade and turned to talk with Kagome. The human child thus did not see the toad's face go almost flesh-toned with rage at her impertinence and raise his staff of heads to thrash her.  
  
Sesshoumaru was halfway across the wide meadow in order to halt these proceedings when the lady, the mutt's wench, he now saw, made his efforts meaningless.  
  
Kagome had, in one eerily smooth motion for a human, interposed her own body between that of the child and the down-swinging staff.  
  
While normally this would have earned a bruise on whatever part it landed on, the human also took the further precaution of warding off the incoming strike with a wooden practice sword.  
  
Wooden staff met wooden sword with a CLACK, and the pitiful demon retainer looked up the length of the disgusting human in order to berate her for interfering. When the toad's bug eyes reached the human woman's face, he gulped.  
  
Almost electric burning blue eyes bored into the smaller youkai from behind the wooden sword. Unblinking and unwavering, the female's stare was beginning to unnerve Jakin, as it reminded him of Sesshoumaru-sama's gaze. Utterly without mercy when one has crossed him.  
  
The toad could only assume that the hu-no, female, for nothing this scary could be thought of as one of those worthless humans, thought that he had crossed her when he attempted to beat some manners into the child.  
  
Completely ignored from where he stood, Sesshoumaru could only see Jakin's face, since the wench's actions brought her back to his view. His ears, however, caught what was said.  
  
Kagome slowly, methodically, and with great precision moved her wooden sword aside in a manner that forced Jakin to disarm himself or face a twisted joint. She leaned her face closer despite his vile breath and whispered her threat.  
  
"If you ever harm Rin again, I will use a dull knife to cut off your arms, take those arms and beat you with them until your torso turns all the colors of the bruised rainbow. I will cleave your sternum so that your ribs pop out and use one of them to gouge out your eyes. Sandpaper will be vigorously applied to your nostrils, then moved to your tongue and ears. When all is raw and bleeding, your tongue will be removed, sliced in half, and each piece will be stuffed into your empty eye sockets. The meat of your legs will be sliced into bite sized pieces while still attached, then pulled from the bone without aid of a knife and forcibly fed to you. My powers will keep you alive during this, so that you may feel every ounce of pain inflicted. Then, when you think that it is finally over, that there is nothing else I can do and that you will eventually find peace in death, I will do anything in my power to get Sesshoumaru to use his Tensaiga and bring you back again and again until you break under the pain. I promise you this."  
  
Sesshoumaru blinked, stared, and blinked again. He rubbed an ear absently to see if what he heard what really what she said. It was a pretty good threat, almost up to par with some of his own. And what did 'everything in my power' actually entail?  
  
For a brief, momentary nanosecond, Sesshoumaru, the Great Taiyoukai Lord of the West, indulged in some ecchi thoughts before shunting them aside with the rest of his emotions.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
InuYasha paced.  
  
He was good at pacing. Back and forth, to and fro. Never mind those three pairs of eyes watched his progress with a hint of exasperation.  
  
Sango looked at Miroku, Miroku looked to Shippo, and Shippo sighed. Again, elected the spokesperson of the group when it came to InuYasha. Nevermind that the dog-turd always ended up hitting him on the head. Everybody but Shippo and InuYasha knew that InuYasha would not permanently harm someone who was as dear to Kagome as her pup.  
  
The kitsune pup fell into step just behind InuYasha and followed him through several more passes before he was noticed.  
  
The big scary idiot picked him up by the tail and bellowed into his face.  
  
"WHADDYA DOIN"!!!"  
  
Shippo blinked back some moisture into his eyes after they were dried out in the breeze. He then reached up to cling to the arm holding his tail, opened his mouth, and bit down hard with those cute baby inscisors that he always flashed to Kagome.  
  
This elicited an unmanly shriek from the hanyou, but in the end, the pup was dropped, if only for the two to glare daggers at each other.  
  
InuYasha's growl was deep and scary, but Shippo's was a surprise. With hints of what he would grow into, the pup's high pitched rumblings only provoked a guffaw from the silver haired meanie.  
  
Shippo took this opportunity to wail his displeasure to the world.  
  
"I want my mommy!!!"  
  
The hanyou choked off his laughter to stare incongruously at the pain in the neck kitsune.  
  
"Shippo, you're mother's dead."  
  
The next thing Shippo knew, a sharp CRACK resounded throughout the village, and InuYasha did his impression of a falling tree, courtesy of a judiciously applied boomerang to the back of the head. When the hanyou fell, he revealed a Sango with an angry tear in her eye. The youkai exterminator spat in his general direction before gathering a crying Shippo into her arms and sitting down by the perverted monk.  
  
"Shippo, honey, don't take what InuYasha said to heart. He didn't mean Kagome."  
  
The pup sniffed from his place in her lap. "But it could be! She could be dead right now, and we not know it. I haven't seen Kagome in so long. Something could have happened to her."  
  
"There there, Shippo," Miroku soothed, "we'll find her. As soon as InuYasha is aware that birds and stars do not exclusively circle his head we will prod him into a 'shard hunt', and we will search for Kagome-sama."  
  
Shippo sniffles again before gaining hope. His mommy just had to be alive and well. She just had to. As his thoughts turned to those who might mean her harm, a tiny growl vibrated from his throat. Anyone who hurt his mom would pay.  
  
Miroku paused with his hand half-way to the target when InuYasha gave a giant sneeze. This allowed Sango to belt him one on the cheek.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
At that same time in the garden, Jakin had wandered off to a shadowy corner to have a nervous breakdown, Kagome was hugging Rin, and Sesshoumaru announced his presence to the world in general with a sneeze of his own.  
  
Perhaps I ought not to use this new bath scent given to me. This Sesshoumaru believes that he is ill disposed toward it. 


	9. Kagome Confused

Alright already! You people have been after me for a while to continue this story. Especially Kat49. I've finally gotten off my duff and resurrected the hardcopy with the chosen sequence of events. I've been focusing on my other ficcie, Unnamed Master since I've had a wealth of ideas and wanted to get them down asap.  
  
This chappie is to all of you who've berated me since I've momentarily halted work on Kagome Hurt. I hope you're happy.  
  
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 9  
  
Kagome was a little unsettled. While she gave Rin a big hug, it was more to calm her own nerves from what had almost occurred. If she hadn't been there, Jakin would have struck this precocious child.  
  
What worried her more was her response to that threat. She had just acted as if Shippo were threatened. Not only that, but she did so on such an instinctual level, she even scared herself. Kagome knew in her soul that she meant every word, and that certainty came out in her demeanor toward the toad youkai. No wonder he was hyperventilating in the hydrangea bushes.  
  
Before she could get too hysterical about what kind of sadistic monster she had become, an explosive sneeze from behind her jolted her out of her thoughts.  
  
Said sneeze drew Rin's attention as well, and Kagome was perplexed to see none but the lofty arrogant Sesshoumaru about. Surely...  
  
What was this?! A look of confusion crossed his delineated features and he just rubbed his nose! A smirk began to bloom on her face, was soon followed by an inaudible snicker and was almost followed by a full blown laugh when eyes warmer than previously chilled gold pinned her to the rock she was perched upon. 'Almost' being the operative term.  
  
Kagome was surprised at herself when all visages of emotion fled her face. She still felt the bubblings of raucous laughter rumbling within her chest, but nothing made its way to her features. Even her eyes were a blue so chilled that they matched a glacier's deep depths.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Sesshoumaru was stunned. Well, not so much stunned as a mite disappointed. While he would never suffer anyone, let alone the human wench to laugh at him, he had almost wanted to hear the rising gales of mirth of the one whose scent kept reminding him of the beloved night.  
  
That she cleared her expression of any trace of amusement was also something to note. Most ningens lacked any sense of self control. What else might she be hiding under her normally cheerful expression?  
  
"Rin. You will see to Ah Un. They have been neglected as of late."  
  
With a wide smile and a quick hug to the silver haired taiyoukai's leg, Rin pranced down a garden path presumably on her way to pay attention to the double headed mount Sesshoumaru sometimes uses.  
  
When Jakin made as if to follow like he is usually ordered to do, the wrinkled old male first looked to his master, who nodded, and then, tremblingly, to the female on the rock. Kagome, narrowed her eyes at him in warning before letting the barest nod of her head to signal his dismissal.  
  
Jakin made his escape with as much dignity as he could muster, grumbling all the way about the kowaii ningen, but only out of her hearing range.  
  
When the raven haired human looked back to the only other occupant of the garden, she lifted an eyebrow in a blatant mockery of his own gesture and waited.  
  
Sesshoumaru thought that it might just be a sign that she was beginning to know her place, and that as the lord of the Western lands, it was his right to speak first in any situation.  
  
"So what brings you into my circle of vision, Sesshoumaru? Wanted to check up on your 'investment'?"  
  
Well, there goes that theory.  
  
"You are wanted by Hitori, miko. You will be present for dinner again this evening, and attend Rin tomorrow after further combat lessons. That is all this Sesshoumaru needs to say to you."  
  
With that pronouncement, he turned and paced silently back towards the sheltered entrance to the castle. Kagome watched him out of sight, and caught the fact that with every other step, the end of his fluffy tail would noticeably twitch to the left.  
  
By the time the door closed on his form, Kagome was cross eyed and red faced with suppressed laughter. Five seconds later, with the clack of her bokken dropping from its perch on the rock, laughter echoed throughout the garden, wafting through the halls of the castle, and uplifting all who caught a wisp of it.  
  
Deep within the bowels of the stonework, Marisa lifted her head with an ear quirked to the outside and allowed herself a small smile. Yes. Kagome-san would indeed be a very good addition to the household. What her great uncle had mentioned to her grandfather now was starting to make sense.  
  
Eavesdropping on family was always a good way to gain information. Now, if only she could get her new mistress to stumble upon that secret room grandfather was so enamored over.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
After her abrupt afternoon laugh fest, Kagome located her instructor through use of her middling powers. He was again waiting in ambush for her in the corridor outside her room. From what she picked up in his aura, she knew that he knew that she knew he was there. Did everybody get that?  
  
Kagome, still in her combat kimono, blended in with the shadowy corners of the hall and the two opponents commenced stalking each other. It was a game of wit and skill. The first one to tag the other won. Or in Kagome's case, either tag or reach her room before being tagged.  
  
Kagome tried something she had worked on in the Inu-tachi group. Twisting the strands of her aura, the raven tressed miko quickly fashioned a shadow likeness under the cover of her suppression technique. The fledgling priestess had discovered early on that unless she was able to keep her powers under strict wrap, all sorts of youkai, dark mikos and seekers of power would be able to hunt her down. It was even more imperative once the Inu-tachi had a sizable amount of Shikon shards to protect. That much concentrated power needed to be covered, and as a result, the miko's suppression technique was by far, state of the art.  
  
The shadow likeness was based somewhat on Naraku's puppets. Given the appearance and aura of the creator, shadow likenesses were insubstantial, but were able to carry a hint of the powers the creator possessed. Kagome had only just completed a trial run of these illusions of hers before the last infamous fight with Inuyasha, so the technique wasn't quite tried and true yet.  
  
And this showed up most alarmingly when she finished the technique and sent it in one direction while she went in another. With only a moment's hesitation, Hitori went after the real Kagome and basically pile drived her into the floor.  
  
Sprawled out with a severe ache in her ribs, the stunned ningen could only gasp as she tried to regain breath. Hitori, the sadistic bastard that she thought he was, calmly composed himself after their rough and tumble antics and stood waiting.  
  
After a minute's work with her innate healing, Kagome was able to face her sensei with something of a surprised look.  
  
"How...?"  
  
"That was a good try, child. I was almost fooled."  
  
"But how-?"  
  
The old youkai sighed and motioned to the entrance of her room.  
  
"We'll speak inside, where readily available ears can't hear."  
  
Glancing around rapidly, Kagome was almost on the verge of self- chastisement for letting her guard down when her search aura reported to her senses that no one was within range, either human or youkai range.  
  
"Hitori-san - there is no one-"  
  
"I know, child, but it is always justifiable to err on the side of caution."  
  
Leading the way, Kagome tossed over her shoulder the comment, "We have a saying where I grew up too. 'Better safe than sorry.'"  
  
The grizzled features looked upon her with mild pleasure.  
  
"It is good to hear that such truths are universal, then, and that wisdom is not lost on the young."  
  
Kagome glanced once around the stark room that was her refuge and idly noted the antique clothing aired and neatly placed in the armoire. The flowers in the bowl on the table had been replaced, and she could detect a hint of Rin's doing what with the beautifully chosen garden flowers interspersed with ragged looking but lovingly arranged weeds.  
  
As she settled herself gingerly next to the table, Hitori began pacing a little back and forth in front of the door. When he kept this up without speaking immediately, Kagome's patience became a little tried as she found herself almost nodding off to sleep. Such a boon was not to be hers though, as the long hair silvered with age snapped like a whip when her sensei suddenly turned to look at her.  
  
"What you did in the hallway was remarkable, child. The only thing wrong with it was that you forgot one thing. You did not alter your own personal essence when you made your move. I could immediately tell which was the real you since you still felt more like the Kagome that I had gotten to know. The duplicate you made was smaller in your essence."  
  
"Heh...I call it the Shadow Likeness. I only just thought it up in the last few weeks. Next time I'll remember to either change or suppress my - what did you call it? My essence?"  
  
"Yes. As a fully trained master at arms, I have had to learn about human warriors, as distasteful as it is. While any youkai can sense other demon's fighting spirits, it takes much effort to train oneself to see a ningen's. I have done so to the benefit of the western lands. None have breached these walls while I was in charge!"  
  
"And I'm sure Lord Fluffy-sama was duly appreciative," she interjected wryly into his minor rant.  
  
Brought back to himself, Hitori gathered his lost train of thought before proceeding.  
  
"All right, girl. I just wanted to tell you that you have a new schedule in this household, which Sesshoumaru-sama has given his permission to."  
  
"Che, fine. Lets hear what Fluffy said was ok for girls to do in their spare time."  
  
Hitori quirked his lips at this derogatory nickname.  
  
"Mornings will be spent in the dojo, learning basic offense with bokken, staff, and your choice of specialty weapon. Breakfast afterwards is with Rin, and the remainder of the morning will be trying to keep the young ward occupied with her education. Afternoons we will work on the more metaphysical aspects of your training. Most of that will have to be done on your own, since I have no idea exactly how human miko powers work, but we will try to adapt it to your combat abilities. Lunch is your own affair sometime during that period, but the Lord insists that you attend dinner each night with himself and his court, when it is called into session. Evenings are your own."  
  
At this time, the aging inu-youkai paused to regard his charge. He chuckled at the swirly eyes she displayed in jest before whapping her upside the head.  
  
"Ow!" she exclaimed before rubbing her head and grumbling about old sadistic youkai who want to annoy her to death.  
  
"All right already. I get the point."  
  
"That is right youngling. We'll whip you into shape sooner than you can say 'Inuyasha and Naraku, sitting in a tree!"  
  
At her goggle eyes, Hitori bounces out of the room cackling with all the mad glee he can muster. Fine times were coming for this castle, and he was the harbringer for the biggest change yet! He can just feel the mayhem he can cause, all with a legitimate reason.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
Lets not forget to cutaway to a moody gloomy castle in the middle of nowhere where our favorite asshole of an Onigumo hanyou resides.  
  
'Yipe! I will have to punish Kagura again. She knows better than to send cold winds to chill my spine.'  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
Oh, and with the Inu-tachi, the heavily bruised fuzzy eared hanyou got a sudden urge to reexamine his lunch's ramen for no apparent reason.  
  
'I can't be sick. I'm never sick. Its all that blasted tajijya's fault. I've got a concussion...Damn her, and damn Kagome for worrying us all and not showing up.'  
  
Notable people I need to keep track of and their roles:  
  
Kagome: heroine, of course. Miko of medium skill, not fully trained in her powers, medium at archery, and abysmal at offensive combat. Pretty good at defense.  
  
Sesshoumaru: at turns Kagome's antagonist as well as possible love interest. Taiyoukai of the western lands, half brother to Inuyasha, holds the swords toukijin and tensaiga. Very dangerous, very protective of his lands and honor. Tries to keep an emotional chill with everyone.  
  
Rin: ward to Sesshoumaru. A bubbly bright child of about 6-8, sees Kagome as her substitute mother, sister, and friend. Just starting her education, and can be counted on to watch Kagome's training. Can be used as a hyper plot point if necessary.  
  
Marisa: self-appointed maid to Kagome. Fox/kitsune demoness, short, nice, but clever and sly. Wants what's best for the lands, and sees Kagome as a way for everyone to benefit. Granddaughter to the ancient lorekeeper who has a special room waiting for Kagome.  
  
Hitori: aging combat man at arms dog demon. Once led the castle's defenses, now is being gently led into retirement with one last pupil to teach. Despite stereotypes, is not a pervert. Sees Kag as a way to help lands as well as show Sess he's not all washed out.  
  
Inuyasha: hanyou who was kag's first love interest. He does not betray kag with kik. Kag ran away because he compared the two of them thoughtlessly. Tries to hide his emotions with bluster and denial. Holder of the tetsaiga. Has a set of rosary beads which Kag uses to 'osuwari' him.  
  
Shippo: Kag's unofficially adopted kitsune son. Precocious, trickster, loving, clingy, protective but easily scared.  
  
Sango: Kag's friend, tajijya, basher of hentai perverts. Strong character, slight sense of humor, has a good sense of right and wrong, is kinda falling for the houshi but also denies her feelings since everything she cares for ends up dead. Wields a really big boomerang  
  
Miroku: hentai pervert and houshi. Is attracted to the strong willed Sango. Kind of a neutral party in terms of Inuyahsa and Kagome's friendship. Is cursed to have a hole in his hand that sucks everything in it, if its not covered with rosary beads. Will eventually suck him in as well.  
  
Naraku: asshole 


	10. Kagome Absent

Well damn, ppl. All I got was one lousy ...Heh.not to say that I don't appreciate such a nice review, but c'mon ppl! I break that story out of semi retirement, and I only get one?! *starts whining pleadingly like a lil puppy*  
  
Che...Figures.  
  
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 10  
  
In a very much overlooked room in a very little used hall, an ancient old kitsune puttered around a table. On that table were several sacred ancestral objects whose knowledge of their existence was placed into his hands at a very young age by his grandfather.  
  
Kooranai reverently swiped a dust cloth over the gleaming surfaces of the sacred artifacts and used a thin cleaning brush to get between the intricate crevices of a smaller accompanying artifact. The elderly demon winced every time the cleaning brush depressed one of the delicately small tiles with a clack, sure that the next time he would be destroyed for such sacrilege.  
  
And each time, the massively deep wrinkles smoothed out just a trice to their normal weather beaten visage as death from on high did not come down to claim him just yet. Well, the time was coming. Soon. After all, he had seen for himself a possible candidate to decipher the scroll his grandfather left him to guard. That girl the master brought in showed many of the signs he was told to look out for.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
As the tall silver haired being known to all throughout the Western Lands as Lord Sesshoumaru-sama stalked from the gardens and its intriguing occupant, his departure was marked by the previously desired laughter that reminded him of delicately chiming bells.  
  
It was only the second day of his hostage's occupation, and yet he could detect a slight difference in all those around him. Things seemed lighter, took on a happier hue, and must be halted before it got out of hand.  
  
The calm features of the Taiyoukai met all inquiring glances from the servants with a stern reminder to go about their business. He too had an errand to accomplish.  
  
Three halls, four hidden passageways and two connecting rooms later, Sesshoumaru made it successfully to his private study without a) becoming lost, which was a trial even for him after so long in the huge ancestral dwelling, or b) running into Jakin, who had an annoying habit of turning up with a rambunctious Rin in tow. Right now, the dreaded youkai lord needed to attain the right frame of mind in order to construct a missive he would address to that mongrel who just happened to share half of his dna.  
  
It was hard to remain so bone-chillingly cold and ruthless when he had a limpet in the form of his human charge attached to his leg. When he was in front of other dangerous youkai, it was easier, but alone in the palace, it was much worse to try to maintain his normal front with Rin grinning up at him.  
  
'The life of a powerful youkai lord was fraught with peril' he thought to himself with an inward grin, knowing he quoted some long ago forefather.  
  
As he settled himself in front of a low table scattered with scrolls, quills, and a handy pot of ink, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes momentarily and allowed a vicious smirk to cross his delineated features as he gathered his thoughts and ordered the right words to convey the correct amount of contempt he had in both the hanyou as well as the wench, although she was surprising him on quite a few occasions.  
  
If only to himself, the demon would admit that she was the only human for whom he had to continually revise his opinion. Many of his preconceived notions were crushed as her actions contradicted much of what he was taught to believe. But experience also taught him that she was an exception. Well, her and Rin, but that was to be expected since that fortunate child was lucky enough to be raised by a civilized youkai with many of the privileges that were denied to the simpler peasants of the lands.  
  
Anyway, back to his letter. Using a claw to trim the nib of his quill, Sesshoumaru gracefully inked the tip and set pen to paper. His letter began with:  
  
"Dear Flea-bitten mongrel,  
  
If it has not already escaped your pitiful notice, the backbone of your little group has been severed as it is missing a certain key member. I, Sesshoumaru, have gained possession of the miko Kagome, and am willing to consider trading her worthless existence for a certain something which you know I desire as the rightful heir of Inutaisho Taiyoukai. I will hold your wench until I either receive the Tetsaiga or become weary of her presence here at my palace. If the latter occurs, then her demise will be upon your shoulders as you should have gotten here sooner.  
  
Better make haste,  
  
Sesshoumaru Taiyoukai, Lord of the Western Lands, its provinces, the island of Konohana, and host of this year's South-Western Regional Court"  
  
With the pale skinned youkai's smirk never leaving his face, Sesshoumaru blotted and sanded the ink, rolled up the scroll and sealed it with a wax dollop and his hanko mark of the crescent moon and two stripes.  
  
Rising eerily to his feet, the silent lord smoothed out his features once again before exiting the safety of his private study. It would not do to ruin his perfect reputation as the demon lord who never smiled, at least not in front of the lowly servants.  
  
Making his way on silent feet, the white and red kimono clad youkai made it to the hall (also without getting lost, point for him! It's a good day) and signaled one of the resident wolf demons by catching the messenger's eyes.  
  
When the vassal knelt before his lord to accept the new mission, Sesshoumaru kept his instructions terse and to the point.  
  
"Place this in the hands of the hanyou known as Inuyasha. He can normally be found about Inuyasha's forest, or at the village adjacent. Get it there today, before sunset. I do not need to remind you of the punishment for failure. Do not wait for an answer. Now go."  
  
And as the last word escaped his oh-so-delectable lips, the wolf was off, almost faster than Sesshoumaru himself.  
  
The inu demon thought to himself, I will have results in one day, two at the most. My father's sword, or the human wench. Heh, perhaps I will introduce her to the court before she departs. It would be interesting to see both their and her reactions to each other. I have a feeling the experience will be most entertaining.  
  
Nearby servants brought their heads up quickly at the sound of unfamiliar laughter echoing through the halls. A few of the guards quickly discerned that no one knew who it belonged to, so they ranged through out the halls searching for an intruder. All they were rewarded with was the quizzical stare of their master. The intruder must have gone another way. No way had the uptight lord cracked a smile in decades, let alone let loose with the evil belly laugh they had just heard.  
  
As their lord passed the respectfully bowing figures of the guards, the two men at arms shot each other a look at the sound of stifled mirth. Neither one knew what to make of it, nor had the gumption to question their lord.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Taki the Wolf messenger loped across the land at the ground eating pace natural to his kind. With endurance up the wazoo, his method of travel always made the wolf species desirable as trusted emissaries. They were speedy, loyal, and were naturally equipped to protect their missives.  
  
Taki also had a vested interest in getting this message to the dog turd. This young male was on loan from his pack as a representative for Kouga. Although he did not know the exact contents of the letter, this lupine knew politics, so it had to involve the miko that his leader had his heart set on.  
  
Kouga wanted the female, and there was no way in hell he would have access to her in the Western Lord's domain. It was far easier to separate the wench from the hanyou, and that mutt had the only option of extracting her from the emotionally incapacitated Taiyoukai.  
  
As far as he knew, Sesshoumaru did not know of the wolf leader's interest in the girl, or he would have sent someone else. So it was up to him to do as he was instructed, which was deliver the message and quick. To this end, the canine demon leapt over rough terrain and blurred through forests, only a faint whooshing sound to mark his passage.  
  
He was unaccosted, as anyone with ill intent had to see him first, before they can try to catch him, and they had to catch up with him in order to harm him. It was a three way plus.  
  
It took him the rest of the afternoon just to reach the edges of Inuyasha's forest, and the light was starting to wan when Taki figured out that his quarry was no where to be found in either it or the village nearby. It only took a scenting with his sensitive nose to realize that the inu-kuro had not been present for the past few days either.  
  
Plunking down at the outskirts of the village in plain sight, withdrew the rolled scroll to contemplate his fate should he fail to deliver. Not even once did he consider blaming Sesshoumaru for wrong directions. It was just ingrained in his feudal era mind that the Lord could never be held accountable for times like these.  
  
It was here on the packed dirt of the walkway that Taki was finally attacked. A tingling in his mind warned him that powerful angry youki was focused on him, which gave the wolf just enough time to spring from his position. With barely an inch or two to spare, a large boomerang sliced from below nicking a few of the lustrous hairs from his chestnut colored tail.  
  
Taki knew he wasn't too handsome a male, but he took pride in how well groomed his tail was. It was his only claim when it came time for him to take a mate. That this tajijya would so carelessly harm it... why, it made him seething mad.  
  
He turned with a growl and noticed that the group had indeed come from downwind, thus ensuring not a whiff could warn him. His lip came down to cloak his bright and shiny's. Ah, here was the recipient of the message, and apparently, the owner of the youki energy that chocked highly on his personal scale.  
  
And so, despite the danger he was in with the female exterminator and the rather surly monk that was fingering his beaded right hand, Taki gained the attention of the only other canine in the group.  
  
Once he knew he had Inuyasha's attention, he deliberately lowered his eyes and took the ritual position of a recalcitrant intruder in another's territory. After all, in his line of work, he had to know all the different species' custom's in order to not get his block taken off. It just so happened that dog-boy and him had a native common ground.  
  
Inuyasha's ears perked up at this change in routine. Normally, when they find a demon nearby the village, only pillage and plunder were on the youkai's mind. Instincts warned him that if he continued to attack, it would be a breech in etiquette.  
  
And some part of his mind was stunned at this subconscious inner revelation. Inuyasha? With etiquette?! Lucifer, the demon lord of the western main lands also known as Asia and Europe was just pelted a couple of times with snowballs.  
  
Anyway, back to the Japanese standoff...  
  
Inuyasha cautiously withdrew from his 'attack crouch' and to the surprise of his companions, waved them back from overtly attacking.  
  
"Don't worry humans. This one is not challenging us for territory or rights."  
  
Sango visibly has an eye twitch. "Territory or rights?! It's a demon, Inuyasha! We should kill it now before it has a chance to invade the village!"  
  
Inuyasha, whose memories overlaid her words with the voices of all the villagers in his youth, snarled at her. "Watch what you say."  
  
Sango pulls back, shocked at his tone and words.  
  
"You're turning out like all those who only have hate in their hearts for those different than you. This male," and he sneers at that, "is clearly a messenger, and comes with the proper behavior as befitting emissary. We do not kill the messenger."  
  
Miroku retains his council, both because he has never seen this side of the hanyou, and because his words, however harsh, have a ring of truth. He was only glad that Shippo had remained in the village with Kaede. The poor kit seemed to be having withdrawal symptoms and was in a fit of depression. Fighting demons would only make it worse, since without Kagome there to be his guiding light and steady rock to hold on to. Without his unofficial okaa-san, Shippo had no confidence in his skills.  
  
Meanwhile, Taki takes this small argument over whether they should kill him or not as time to glance unobtrusively at the present 'pack mates'. That was what they acted as, after all. It seemed Inuyasha was the dominant male. The exterminator acted as beta with aspirations to challenging the hanyou for his position. The other male, what he recognized as a ningen houshi, stayed silent, and for that silence, appeared all the more deadly.  
  
It was also clear by the postures that each pack member took that they were a broken pack. Members were missing and the remaining felt the loss severely. Taki figured that the miko normally would be placed behind the dominant male and a little to the side, closer to the female. The way the group was arrayed against him, it would be the optimum positioning for attacking the enemy as well as defending the miko... and one other. There was a small hole in the pack's present offensive grid that can be filled with only that of a child. This particular position was also easily moved so that offense could quickly become defense, and thus have the young blood of the pack protected.  
  
Interesting.  
  
By this time, the beta was sufficiently cowed so that she would not present her challenge to the leader immediately. They would deal with the problem he presented before settling their differences in the safety of privacy.  
  
"What are you here for, wolf?" barked the white haired hanyou.  
  
Taki straightened from his temporary submissive posture in order to deliver the scroll. Although he noted that the beta remained tense with a hand on the large weapon of hers, the monk deemed the situation in hand and was unobtrusively sidling his way closer to the beta. For what purpose, the wolf did not know.  
  
"I am here on behalf of Lord Sesshoumaru." Ah, this caused all of them to switch back to wary battle mode.  
  
"He ordered me to deliver this," he waved the rolled up parchment to indicate that he held no surprise weapons. Taki was of the belief that it did not bode well for the longevity of a messenger if they chose to mess around with the heads of the recipients.  
  
Inuyasha growled half in warning before commanding, "Leave it on the ground, back away, and then depart my forest. You won't be killed if you do not make a nuisance of yourself."  
  
Taki nodded his acknowledgement of the order. Even though he hated taking them from his leader's rival for a mate, it was the hanyou's right as present pack leader and claimant of the surrounding territory.  
  
Mission accomplished. Time to return to the castle, since the last rays of the day were just now lancing over the horizon.  
  
From the Inu-tachi's point of view, the chestnut colored demon melted into the surrounding forest line and disappeared from sight. The humans were still tense, since their inferior senses could not tell them what Inuyasha knew.  
  
The soft fluffy ears that Kagome so loved kept themselves swiveled to track the lupine's progress out of the hanyou's range. When the silver haired one was satisfied that his command was carried out, he stalked toward the innocent looking scrap of paper on the ground and snatched it up.  
  
Glancing over the seal momentarily, Inuyasha acknowledged that it was indeed his brother's message and slipped a claw under it to pop the wax. Skimming the note, a very scary growl was heard by Miroku and Sango, and they were probably better off not knowing that his eyes leaked small amounts of red before returning to normal.  
  
Inuyasha whirled on his companions and literally stamped between them, headed back to the village. As he passed his friends, (not that he would ever tell them that) his hand flashed out and threw the missive on the ground where they could look at it for themselves.  
  
But as Miroku's hand reached down to pick it up, Inuyasha's hate filled words stilled him.  
  
"The bastard has got Kagome. He's kidnapped her, and will kill her if we don't arrive there soon."  
  
Sango was about to reach over and touch the red haori covered shoulder when the half demon flinched away from her.  
  
"Pack your things, Sango, Miroku. We're going into the Western Territory."  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
A.N. Well how was that people? Eight pages, and that only accounts for about two short paragraphs I have on the overall timeline. For all those who were wondering how long this fic was going to be, let me inform you that with an 8 pg : 2 paragraph ratio, 17 pages of notes will equal a very long story.  
  
I hope you all will be very happy, and continue to review. You want me to continue with the character descriptions I had on the last chapter? I seem to have concocted a few more personalities for my story.  
  
Oh, and what are your thoughts on an eventual anime crossover? I have one in mind, but it will be quite a while from now, so mucho Sessie and Inu goodness.  
  
Thanks again, everyone. 


	11. Kagome Presented

Kagome Hurt: Chapter 11  
  
Dinner huh? And just what should one wear to a dinner when being presented to the full demon court?  
  
Kagome was in her room at present and on the verge of pulling out her hair. Not to mention screaming in frustration as an added measure. All of these outfits were horribly outdated!  
  
Kagome stopped, and paused to think about what she had just thought. Then she started laughing.  
  
"Cheh...heh hehe hehehe. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"  
  
A knock came softly on the door, abruptly cutting off the maniacal ironic laughter. Marisa poked her head in to eye the wide eyed Kagome.  
  
"Any thing I can do for you, Kagome-sama?"  
  
Shaking her head no, the raven tresses shivered with the movement and Kagome quirked a grin.  
  
"Not unless you can come up with a Givennchy, matching stilettos and a choker, I don't think you can."  
  
A little crestfallen, the spry kitsune pouted before offering, "Well, if you do need something any time soon, let me know. I'll be glad to help."  
  
"Sure, you'll be the first I ask," Kagome nodded. When she returned to the armoire to continue sorting the outfits found there, Marisa looks appraisingly at her mistress.  
  
She'll make a fine mate for the lord. After all, she has the right thing in mind when she asked for knives and a garrote. I have no idea what a Givennchy is though. Must be some sort of exotic weapon from her homeland.  
  
With a smile to herself, Marisa resolved to find her mistress the weapons asked for that she knew about. Hitori would know just the kind of stilettos to give her, and maybe sheathes to match. Kagome-sama would know what to do with the garrote.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
The palace retainers had the old place humming with gossip as the news of the ningen miko's introduction at court. It was extremely rare for a human to be present during such an important noble youkai event, let alone formally presented.  
  
Such tidbits that were tossed around included the fact that she was a) human, b) a miko, which is dangerous enough with youkai, as they generally try to purify and destroy all demons, c) one of the band which caused all sorts of grief to their beloved Sesshoumaru-sama, d) knew about, and was protective of the lord's ward, Rin, and e) was from a far away land, and had customs that were very different from their own.  
  
All in all, Kagome was a very juicy piece of gossip. Some of the romantics had bets, secret of course, that their lord would have inherited the tendencies of his father, and would opt to make the powerful female his mate. Others of the more ambitious sort had odds that the silvered male would stick to the plan, and trade the woman for the status symbol of the Tetsaiga. All were confident that he would get the better of his younger brother.  
  
And so it was in this manner that the main banquet hall was scrubbed and polished, candles were replaced and tables and cushions arranged in an artful manner. All was in readiness for the commencement of the demon court, which only cycled through the western Lands once every four years.  
  
As was obvious, it was the Western Lands turn to host the gathering, and it would stay for the three month duration before it dispersed until next year. Then it would be the Northern Lord's turn to host. All of the youkai nobility would make their presence at least once during each period and would have their issues, complaints, deals, and alliances dealt with. It was both an honor and a danger to be presented at court.  
  
Customs were vastly different in the fact that lethal measures were more accepted, but it was, of course, considered highly rude to murder the host's guest out of hand. It wasn't unacceptable, but it was rude.  
  
Ah, hurry hurry. The noble guests would be arriving soon, and should be greeted with furbished rooms. Each servant knew the rules of the politics game. Every visiting demon would receive a room on an equal level. They would all have somewhat shabby, somewhat dusty quarters.  
  
The guests would then have to jockey about to gain favor with the host lord in order to get better accommodations. It would be a mark in their favor if they readily received opulent chambers along a well traveled hall. They could then lord it over the other nobles as they were wont to do.  
  
Punishment could be that the youkai would soon find himself demoted to a remote room, thus drastically increasing his chances of getting lost.  
  
No one wanted to get lost in Sesshoumaru's palace. It had a way of keeping the unwary lost. They still hadn't found two or three of the abominably rude squid youkai that were presented eight years ago.  
  
It was assumed that they were digested by the halls and undiscovered chambers, rather like a giant Venus fly trap, only with youkai as the prey. The tale nevertheless always sent a shiver down the spines of the demon youth who were forced to the forefront for their presentations.  
  
Ah, it was such fun to scare the kiddies!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
On a minor unworthy note, just for those who were wondering, Kagome chose the green one. It had little gold butterflies embroidered along the hems and slashing across the chest from right shoulder to left hip. The obi was black with a similar motif in gold, and the sleeves gracefully cascaded, yet were modified to that they could hook out of the way in case of battle.  
  
Kagome liked it immediately, and Hitori approved of the practicality of the design when he saw it later that afternoon. The diminutive arms teacher had planned on sneaking up on his pupil to both scare and gift her with the stilettos and garrote Marisa said she asked for.  
  
When presented with the elderly male's offerings, she only lifted a brow, which sent chills down Hitori's spine as it REALLY reminded him of Inutaisho, and to a degree, Sesshoumaru. He hoped she never learned how uneasy it made him feel, but he really wished she would use it on some of the stuffed shirts at court; throw a real scare into them, those that were old enough to remember the previous Taiyoukai.  
  
Kagome excused herself, now that she was ready for dinner, indicating that she wanted to check up on Rin. To that purpose, she snagged Marisa who was ghosting down the hall aimlessly to show her the way.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru was feeling very pleased with himself, and felt that as this was a special occasion, he opened his eyes just a little wider and let the teensiest bit of an uplifting lilt to his lips.  
  
This caused a minor riot in the servants around him, since Sesshoumaru never smiled unless death was nigh.  
  
Things were going splendidly.  
  
Now where was Rin? Jakin should have had her corralled into her suite and picked out her outfit for the upcoming banquet. He didn't want his ward to miss any of the festivities as she could be counted on to ruffle many a feather on the pompous guests who would baldly insinuate that he needed to be mated. Of course, they would also broadly hint that they had a female family member who would just love to fulfill the position.  
  
Bakas, the lot of them.  
  
As the dignified lord swept through the halls from the receiving room to Rin's suite close to his own, Sesshoumaru wondered as to what gratuities this round of haggling would net him and his territory. He knew the system of the courts only propagated the well being of the cardinal lords of the realm. As one such cardinal lord, it gained him numerous perks, but he also had quite a few pressing responsibilities during crunch time.  
  
Now was crunch time, but he had always hated the jockeying and manipulation. It was his habit to ignore most of the fawning masses unless they did something spectacularly stupid. He had no patience to wade through the banal details many such requests made upon him.  
  
Sesshoumaru finally gained his own wing, and pushed open the door to his ward's room for inquiry as to her readiness. What he found was his ward indulging in a pillow fight with his hostage.  
  
Before announcing his presence, his eyes of golden disks darted around to search for the missing Jakin. One would have thought the measly toad would know better than to procrastinate like that. He found his personal lackey submerged under the wadded silken bedding, and if his own perceptive eyes did not deceive him, the toad was trembling!  
  
It was Kagome whose senses finally bypassed the adrenalin of the mock fight to alert her to the presence of powerful youki. While it was there, and frightening in its ability to sneak up on her, it did not have taints of aggression as of yet. She had not yet turned to confront the demon at the doorway, and this was her downfall.  
  
During this split second of bemusement, Rin took advantage of the opportunity and soundly belted the quiescent miko on the side of the head, sending her tumbling to the feet of the silent lord.  
  
Opening her eyes, Kagome regained her equilibrium, even while sprawled on the floor, and immediately peered up to see whose feet stood before her.  
  
Stormy blue grey met icy chill gold and as Kagome took in the addition of silver locks and a white kimono, she 'eeped' and scrambled lithely to her feet.  
  
"Perhaps you should spend more time training with Hitori, miko, since you cannot keep to your feet in a fight with a child."  
  
The regally attired ningen narrowed her baby blues and Sesshoumaru noted with some interest that the hue was quickly iced over, along with a startling change in her demeanor.  
  
The female before him did not move, twitch or otherwise change her posture, but somehow, he got the feeling that she had gathered all of her resources and was looking upon him rather like a superior demoness would. For some reason, out of the blue, Sesshoumaru received the distinct urge to bring her something dead and edible to appease the female before him.  
  
A moment passed, and Sesshoumaru knew that she would not respond to his subtle dig. Moving on, he broke the impromptu starting match to take in Rin's appearance. While dressed in an appropriate pink child's kimono with white sakura blossoms scattered across it, her clothing was rumpled due to the fight and a stray hank of hair stood at attention on the back of her head.  
  
Kagome took notice of what his attention shifted to, and then realizing that free time was drawing to a close, she tut-tutted and started smoothing out Rin's attire.  
  
Sesshoumaru was pleased to see that at least someone other than himself could effectively manage his ward. Rin just stood under her Kagome-chan's ministrations with a wide grin on her face, happy to have a mother figure in her life again. Kagome was so cheerful, and didn't mind her rambunctious-ness. She also didn't sneer at her like some of the female demons did.  
  
When the females had finished their primping, Sesshoumaru spoke up.  
  
"Come."  
  
And then turned around for the door, fully expecting compliance.  
  
What he got was a silent Japanese raspberry at his back although he didn't know it. Rin laughed gaily at the action and dashed to close the widening distance between her and her Sesshoumaru-sama. Kagome had to give up her enjoyable pastime in order to keep the odd duo in sight. She had no idea where the banquet hall was.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-  
  
A.N. - To point out something that may not be clear, it is about this time that Taki meets up with the Inu-tachi. What happened last chapter and this one are occurring concurrently. Just thought to let you know.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Whispers once again floated around the warmly lit hall. Light gleamed merrily of the polished woodwork of the floor and support posts, and the tables were delicately set with priceless china and well crafted utensils.  
  
The head table followed along the back wall, and had four other longer tables projecting from it perpendicularly. Only the cardinal lords and their immediate entourage were permitted to be seated at the head, and the four lower tables provided food and seating for the nobles. The closer to the head table you were, the more important your status. A foolish noble would immediately jump for a highly placed position. If his lord did not feel that the seat suited the noble, it was his right to displace the baka, thus making the noble's faux pas that much more noticeable. A wily political contender would seat himself near the middle to low section. If the lord was favorable to him, then his position was also noticeably elevated, garnering the attention of the others. But there was risk in this maneuver, since it was not guaranteed that the lord would notice.  
  
Kagome, who was not as conversant with the way feudal Japanese nobility, and demon nobility at that, acted, ended up following Sesshoumaru into the room before pausing on the threshold. Sesshoumaru noticed her hesitation, but did not cease his way to the front table with Rin in tow. He wanted to see her choice in seating.  
  
The low hum of conversation slowed, faltered, and then ground to a stop upon the sight of the much talked about ningen miko. Quite a few of the Northern, Southern, and Eastern nobles tensed, but the Western somehow took an odd sense of pride in the human's entrance. Not every Territory could claim a powerful priestess that rivals their lord, and yet allowed herself to be under his care.  
  
That, and the fact that Western nobles had the advantage in knowing the miko's reputation in not killing unless provoked. Still, she cast a pretty striking picture, there in the doorway, highlighted by the lanterns in the corridor behind her. Her inky black tresses were done up in an intricate fashion, courtesy of Marisa, while the lower portion was left to fall freely over her shoulders and down her back. The black, green and gold combined to give her skin a flawless hue and her eyes sparkled a curious blue as they slowly spiraled into a pale glacier blue.  
  
Despite her human status, a few of the males at the lower end of the table quietly salivated to themselves.  
  
Sariota, Lady of the Eastern Lands leaned over from Sesshoumaru's left.  
  
"So, Sesshoumaru-sama. Was this the 'guest' you wanted presented to the court? People have been saying that you find her intriguing."  
  
The white haired lord looked over to his opposite. Sariota was a study in blacks, from her hair to her clothes, and was just as cold and ruthless as a cardinal 'Lord' must be. But, she had an incorrigible habit of causing mischief for her Western counterpart, ever since they had fostered together with the previous Southern Lord for a year. Sariota was also a leopard youkai, and her full form was that of a two story tall panther. One can guess the color.  
  
"Perhaps, Sariota-sama, I only wished to see her flail about before being slaughtered for a misstep," he proposed with nary a flicker of emotion in his eyes.  
  
The green eyes of the feline youkai crinkled before a quirked grin found its way to her lips. Her entire posture could be read as 'sure, I'll believe that when her blood sprays the walls and you do nothing to avenge the girl.'  
  
The panther knew the icy lord well enough to see his faint look of possessiveness when gazing at the miko. If the haughty lord did not have feelings for her at the moment, he would later, once propinquity took its toll, or she'd shave her head and steal some of Sesshou's poufy pants and robe.  
  
Shaking her own black tresses, the dark lady of the East laughed at her own absurdity. Like she would show up in anything other than the darkest of colors!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
A.N. Well, whatcha think? Still rather slow on the action part, but I like to have things well written and well thought out. Maybe when its all over and done with, I'll go back and reedit the chapters so that they're longer and have more action than writing pretty much scene by scene.  
  
I like Sariota. She seems fun. Definitely a demented character that can inform Kagome all sorts of soft spots Sesshoumaru has. He'll have his revenge for it later, of course, if Kagome does use 'em, but revenge can be so sweet for both participants, yes?  
  
Wow, two chapters in as many days. I'm on a roll! 


	12. Kagome Chooses

Kagome Hurt: Chapter 12  
  
Whoa. So many youkai. And the combined power was overwhelming.  
  
Kagome blinked, and then felt a portion of her mind ice over. Her thoughts starting becoming clearer and her confusion subsided so that native razor intellect was not hindered. The miko could now analyze the situation with a calm inner eye.  
  
She moved from the doorway, her bright pale eyes flicking over the massed demons, idly wondering where she was meant to sit. Sesshoumaru had found his perch at the center of a high table, but that was only natural. It was his castle. Rin was at his side, but had a little table to herself back from the high one.  
  
'Must be the kiddies table,' she mused, 'and the since she's the only child, she gets her own table.'  
  
A demoness dressed all in black was eyeing her from a corresponding place of honor at the high table. Two other lords also in color coded red and blue outfits were talking amongst themselves, and seemingly did not notice the human.  
  
Kagome dismissed the higher ups from her thoughts as her attention turned toward the four lower tables. Because she was not looking, she missed Sesshoumaru's eyes flashing in annoyance. Not many can ignore the demon lord of the West like that, especially when his gaze was on his quarry.  
  
Kagome was calculating the risk of finding a place to sit. If she opted for somewhere near the only people she knew, it would place her in the thick of the youkai throng. That meant up close to the high table. There was no way she could conceive of sitting at Sesshoumaru's side, and even she knew that going for the kiddy table would make a statement she could ill afford.  
  
That left the open ended tables near the other side of the room. They were closer to the door, and thus freedom should things get rough. Once her mind recognized the positive tactical value such a choice would provide, her slippered silent feet took her to the empty cushion at the end of the table with adjoining absent places to either side. She did not want to willingly sit by someone who would rather take her head off than speak with her.  
  
When she gracefully knelt down and turned her patient attention to the setting on the table, voices once again resumed their murmuring comment. Kagome sat in silence as she monitored the goings on of the youkai around her with a crude aura awareness technique. All she could feel was a general proximity alarm and a scale of hostility in those around her. At present, the majority was uneasy toward her, but only a few had an outright malicious hatred. Those few were two tables away and seemed to be coming from a group of kappas and other higher evolved demons.  
  
Surreptitiously surveying those in her close proximity, Kagome internally exhaled a sigh of relief. It appeared that her closest neighbors had a feel that whispered that they belonged here. The only thing the miko in training could come up with to explain this, was that they belonged to the land. They were 'of the West' so to speak.  
  
Deciding to test this assumption, she directed her aura of miko energy at those of a table to the right of her own. What her senses brought back was a feeling of wintry winds and mildly warm summer breezes. She had the feeling of a capricious people. Her eyes were drawn up the length of the Northern table, for that was what it was, and met surprisingly green orbs of an elderly avian youkai male dressed in blue at the high table. Startled, but determined, she maintained eye contact. While she did not know, her eyes flashed again with the arctic blue, which was greeted with the elder male's upraised brow and then followed by a quirked grin and him turning away to again converse with his fellow lords.  
  
Disgruntled but not dismayed at the fact her probing had been noticed, Kagome did it again with the table beyond the Northern lord's. She tasted water and salt, the windy breezes of her mind laden with moisture and change. It did not escape her notice either, that the kappas who retained an active hatred for her were also sitting along that table.  
  
This time, it was the feel of powerful eyes boring into her that made her again look at the high table. The youkai in red was watching her intently now, with the laughing one in blue looking on. Kagome fervently fought a blush but smiled brazenly before quirking a brow.  
  
Their reaction almost made her laugh as they then broke off the staring match looking surprised and disgruntled. The two started speaking rapidly together, and shooting quick glances at her. She rolled her eyes before contemplating doing the aura trick again with the lady in black's table. Before she could decide one way or another, the miko's attention was captured as two youkai took the places on either side.  
  
Kagome narrowed her eyes a little, before giving them the benefit of the doubt. Smiling a little to encourage conversation, she nonetheless kept her hands glowing with a priestess's purification powers underneath the table and pointed at her audience. The one on her right was a very old kitsune male. He looked kindly enough, but there was this gleam in his eyes that spoke to her untrained counseling senses of an obsession or a fixation. Nothing too bad or it would be affecting his health. For some odd reason, he reminded her of Marisa somewhat, but it was hard to tell underneath all of the wrinkles.  
  
The one on the left was a young demonling. Looking closer, Kagome was able to discern that he was something of a vulpine youkai. Perceptive too, since he took one look at her delicately furrowed brow and said "Mink. I'm an weasel youkai. My name's Asoiharu."  
  
He looked a little shellshocked when she bestowed upon his forthright manner a brilliant smile with her normal swirling crystal blue eyes. The kitsune too looked a little awed, but he plowed ahead with the single- mindedness that all old people seemed to have.  
  
"You are the one that my granddaughter serves, Kagome no miko?"  
  
"You're granddaughter? Marisa-chan's your grand-"  
  
She was interrupted though with an excited rush of words.  
  
"Aye, aye, Marisa, the flighty kit of my daughter's. Quite a handful. My name is Kooranai, but there is something that I might ask of ye later? After the banquet? Please?!" and he turned on the 'I'm-a-helpless-lovable- old-coot-and-will-probably-annoy-you-to-death-if-you-don't-agree-to-my- request-right-now look. A life long experience with her own jii-chan enabled Kagome to withstand the assault for exactly 15.2 seconds before caving.  
  
Defeated, she nodded to the old fox before turning to look again at the vulpine, since she couldn't bear to be reminded of her easy capitulation right now. Asoiharu had a look of awe on his face that easily dwarfed what the two high and mighty's had given her earlier.  
  
With the kitsune off in his own happy world since he got the powerful figure beside him to agree, Asoiharu leaned in closer to Kagome and asked with a reverent tone of voice, "How did you ever build up the skills to resist him like that?"  
  
The green robed miko was at a loss.  
  
The mink went on. "C'mon, you can tell me. From one recipient of the 'grandther's look' to another. I've got a patriarch in my own family who pulls just that same thing, and the record is 9 seconds. Is it 'cause you're a priestess?"  
  
A sigh was his answer, followed by, "No, its not because I'm a miko. I think it's a little more complicated than that."  
  
Intrigued, the weasel nodded for her to go on.  
  
"Well, have you noticed that there aren't that many very elderly youkai in your society?"  
  
"Wha? No, not really. Most of them are killed once they've passed their prime. They are unable to defend themselves for the most part."  
  
"Exactly," she pointed out. "Most of the older generation is wiped out, and those that are left have to gain alternate methods to get the younger generation to do what they want. Thus what you've termed 'the grandther look'. Where I come from, there are many more elderly people, so I've had time and opportunity to build up immunity to just that technique."  
  
"oooohhhhh."  
  
"Yeah, oh. Hey, what are you doing here anyway? I didn't think that any of these nobles wanted to associate with the 'lowly ningen' let alone speak with me."  
  
He gave her a quick and ready 'devil may care' smile. "Ah, but I am one of the reckless youth that have yet to be formally presented. It is allowed for us to disregard most of the smaller unwritten rules from time to time before we are up before the cardinal lords."  
  
"Geez, Asoiharu-kun. You just sounded so much like my brother right there. How old are you?"  
  
"Aw, why'd you ask? Now you are going to think I'm a baby and not worth talking to anymore." The little monster just pouted!  
  
"Che, its not like I'm forcing you to tell, if you want to keep it a secret that much." Kagome looked a little peeved but resigned.  
  
The sable haired mink was downcast. "But I do. You just invoked one of the bigger unwritten rules. 'Answer questions truthfully of anyone a)powerful enough to blow you away, b)older than you, who might have the knowledge to blow you away, or c)who asks, unless you think you can get away with it.' You fall into category A. I'm thirty four years old. Just barely old enough to be presented."  
  
"Thirty four huh." She was trying very hard not to sound impressed. It was about twice her age! "Yeah, you're quite the unproven child."  
  
The little rat caught on to her light sarcasm and looked up at her with his head cocked to the side. Again he twitched a smile. "Ano, Kagome-sama, in a little bit, would you like to meet my Hob and Jill?"  
  
Traditional confuzzled Kagome.  
  
And seeing this, Asoiharu explained. "My father and mother. Like how Inu youkai are a sire and bitch and have pups, and kitsune are kits with a vixen and jack. I suppose the polite way would be sire and dam for any of the species."  
  
Kagome returned his earlier statement. "Oh."  
  
At this time, most of the present seats had been filled and the host of this cycle's gathering rose to address the collective whole. The whiteness of his features and attire drew the attention of all the glittering deadly throng and conversation snapped to a halt at the glance from this austere personage, conveying to the watching miko like nothing else before, just how much power her captor wielded.  
  
Very subtly, she gulped as this realization made its way into her consciousness and her reaction to it. She was afraid, not because of his dangerous abilities or power, but because of the fact that she was not afraid. Intellectually, the spirited girl from the future knew she should be scared out of her gourd right now, but somehow, there was only faint pooling warmth at the pit of her stomach. Something clenched inside of her, and it wasn't terror.  
  
"Lords and Ladies of the ruling class. I bid you enter my place of dwelling. If not welcome here, then at least mild acceptance. This cycle's renewing of alliances, forging the beginning of others, and airing of old slights will commence on the morrow, and servants will lead you to your rooms and suits when you leave your table.  
  
"I give one warning only. Your treatment will rely solely on your actions. Like will be rewarded with like."  
  
And with that, Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai lord of the Western lands sank back into his seat and waved a pale striped hand and the banquet commenced!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Sorry, but this seems to be another filler chapter to explain some more of the rules and regulations of demon kind. I also added a hint of waffyness if you care to pinpoint it. I also seem to be adding a few more personalities. Mink are cool! So are sables, ermine, ferrets, and weasels.  
  
Plus some of the plot has been introduced. You guys remember that creepy figure in the closed room right? Wonder what Kooranai is going to ask Kagome. And can anyone guess what the artifacts are? C'mon, it plays a very important role later.  
  
Anyway, some people have commented on the character bio's I did and seemed to like them. Here are a few more. Enjoy!  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Midoriko: Rukio's best friend and mentor. Also very gifted with miko power, creator of the Shikon no Tama. Was the first person Rukio met after being displaced. Died in battle long before Rukio with the making of the Shikon no Tama. I'll include Rukio later, but can't spoil the surprise.  
  
Kooranai: Marisa's grandfather. An elderly kitsune who was charged by his own grandfather to watch for candidates to fulfill the 'prophecy'. Really really wants to know what the artifacts are, and what's written on the scroll.  
  
Taki: wolf messenger on loan from Kouga to Sesshoumaru as his vassal. Not quite bishie, but not bad either. Chestnut hair, and a lithe figure, he has his pack's interests at heart.  
  
Asoiharu: mink youkai youth to be presented at court. Kagome's first contact with the demon nobility. Inquisitive, cunning, friendly, but a little pouty and childish. Sable hair with a white splotch of short hair at the center of his hairline, and a black tip to his tail. Young bishie.  
  
Kikyo: bitch. Normally I'd leave it at that for shits and giggles, but she needs a description. Thought to be Kagome's incarnation, resurrected from dirt and bones, has only the goal of bringing Inuyasha to hell with her and her hatred to keep her going. Oh, that, and making Kagome's life pure hell. Also has some pieces of Shikon shards and is tentatively allied with Naraku.  
  
Kouga: overeager wolf leader. Wants Kagome as a mate. Figures she would make the pack much stronger, and he admires 'his woman' for her determination and strengths. Has an ongoing rivalry with Inuyasha. Very speedy and has two Shikon shards in his legs.  
  
Kanna: child of Naraku. Very emotionless, wields a mirror that sucks out souls. Also is the Nanban Mirror which can travel through time, and transport across land, but it requires a tear to be shed on its surface. Kanna is emotionless, so no tears, and no one discovers the mirror's other powers.  
  
Kagura: also a child of Naraku. Will do his bidding, but wishes to be free of her 'father'. Remotely considers herself Kanna's older sister. Has control of the winds with her nifty little fan, and can travel on a leaf on wind currents.  
  
Jakin: Sesshoumaru's toad youkai servant. Miserly old man who generally hates kids and is stuck with watching over Rin a lot. His attitude may change with Kagome around though. Wields the staff of heads which shoots out fire and other blasts.  
  
Souta: Kagome's younger brother. Concerned for his sister, but acts as the typical younger brother. You know how these things go.  
  
Jii-chan: Kagome's grandfather. No one seems to know his first name. Has an intense fascination with all the old legends, but never gets them right. Wields useless ofuda wards as he doesn't have the training to charge them correctly.  
  
Nanoko Higurashi: Kagome's mom. Kasumi like in her general niceness and obliviousness, but she really cares for her daughter. Is friends with C.C.'s CEO Bulma Briefs, since she was the scientist's baby sitter long ago. Wields lotsa luv for everyone. Oh and a frying pan... Can't forget the frying pan. Also don't ask..another plot point. 


	13. Kagome Lost

A.N. - Come to think about it, I have no earthly idea on how feudal lords (demon or otherwise) entertain their guests for an important function. Do they dance? Drink tea? Have bear baitings? I dunno, but for the purposes of this ficcie, I'll somewhat follow along what I know of European court activity.   
  
In this case, of the opening celebration, they'll have a banquet followed by a ball. That means dancing! Woot!  
  
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 13  
  
A sable headed youth peeps out from a doorway to a slightly rundown suite. Sharing with his parents was a drag, but until they could curry favor with the creepy white lord, it would have to do.  
  
It was the required post banquet hour all nobility over seventy years of age seemed to need in order to change their outfits for the ball. As he was under even the halfway mark, it only took him fifteen minutes to don acceptable breeches and a tunic robe. He was glad he could escape before his mother cornered him with the sash that was suppose to go over his shoulder. In his esteemed opinion, sashes were for females only. Nevermind that it was the emblem of his line. They just looked prissy.  
  
Now, to locate his new friend.  
  
Asoiharu had noticed during the meal that most of the others at the Western lord's table were cursorily polite, but distant, as if they were hesitant to approach her either to snub her or because they were afraid and didn't like to show it. So it was up to him! Asoiharu! to introduce her around and let the others of his own acquaintance know that she wouldn't bite.  
  
'Well. That doesn't quite equate. I am pretty sure that humans do not bite. We do, but do humans? Well, she's a miko, so quite conceivably, she could purify us, but I doubt she will.'  
  
Anyway, the youth almost jumped out of his fur when a hand fell on his shoulder.  
  
"Yeargh!"  
  
Whirling around, the mink gawped as the object of his hunt blinked at him in surprise at his reaction.  
  
"Do not DO that!"  
  
Kagome just looked at him with a hint of a smile, and a deliberate confused look on her face.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Sneak up on me! How did you do that anyway? I have good hearing, and you still surprised me."  
  
"Tche. All youkai seem to have great hearing. Anyway, I've been getting training from some old crotchety master at arms here in the castle, and one of the main things is stealth. Still not very good at it though. I breathed rather lough once about fifteen steps back when I first saw you, but you were deep in thought. Then you struck a pose and said your name with your finger in the air and I just had to tap you. You wouldn't hear me."  
  
A little shame faced with this pronouncement, Asoiharu tried to bluster his way through.   
  
"Umm, oh, Kagome-sama! Remember you had said you would meet my parents? They're just around this wing. There's still time before the ball, so you can dress afterward."  
  
"Ball? What ball? Nobody told me anything about a ball? Again with the hanging jaw. You'll turn into a toad youkai and catch flies if you keep this up."  
  
With an audible 'click' the mink snapped his mouth shut.   
  
"You sound just like my mother." and then a second later. "Do not do that. Its creepy."  
  
With a slight frown on her face, Kagome replied, "Well I suppose I get it from taking care of Shippo and my brother. All right, we'll go see your parents."  
  
And off she wanders, muttering about the indignity of her not being invited to the ball, in the wrong direction.  
  
Asoiharu was stilled with shock just long enough for her to dissappear around a corner. Why wouldn't she be told about the ball? This was her court presentation as well, right?   
  
Wait a second, "Oi, Kagome! That's the wrong way!"  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
A scenic forest tableau. Light piercing through the leafy forest canopy creates a warm emerald glow that houses chirping birds, rustling underlife, and a babbling brook somewhere in the distance.  
  
All goes suddenly quiet with the immenent "STOMP, STOMP, STOMP, STOMP".   
  
A few yards distance can only be considered possibly out of destructive range from the brooding gloomy explosive temper that is Inuyasha.  
  
Walking at 10 yards from the nominative leader of the tachi, Sango nudged Miroku in the ribs with an elbow.   
  
"Why do you think he stopped racing at all out speed toward Sesshoumaru's castle?"  
  
"I do not know, Sango, but his fuming is starting to wear on the group's nerves. Even Shippo has stopped talking about Kagome-san since Inuyasha violently turned on him after the letter was delivered. He has never been this short tempered with Kag-" the houshi paused in thought. 'What was that term Kagome had said? Male PMS syndrome? What does the PMS stand for, and why does it pertain to males?'  
  
"Yes, I have noticed as well. He's been a lot calmer when she's near. She seems almost as influential over him as the Tetsaiga."  
  
"Hmmmm," was all the houshi returned with.  
  
Walking behind the priest and the exterminator in her full firecat form, Kirara carried the bruised and sleeping Kitsune, and mewed her agreement with her mistress. 'Inuyasha was even giving her growly looks just because she was a cat!'  
  
Unknown to those walking behind, Inuyasha's ears perked every so often. Being a demon, or half demon in his case, allowed for such traits as acute hearing, and also in his case, the gift of swivel ears. He heard everything that they said.  
  
'Well, they don't have to act so calm about it! Kagome was kidnapped by Sesshoumaru! She's too weak to fend him off for long, who knows what he's done to her! I'll save you Kagome! And although I'll never admit it to them, I'll need their help if Sesshoumaru uses more demons to interfere. I can't go as fast as I normally would, since it would exhaust the humans by the time we get there. Sesshoumaru would never let them catch their breath before attacking.'  
  
Argh! "STOMP, STOMP, STOMP"  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
A.N. Geez I know I'm copping out here, but right now, my mind is on finals and my mental capacities are filled to the brim. Please have mercy! 


	14. Kagome Dance

Kagome Hurt: Chapter 14  
  
A sneering tone of voice rang out from the side of the path the Inu-tachi were jogging down.  
  
"Oi, you're the HALF demon, Inuyasha, right?"  
  
The surprise was so sudden for the humans of the tachi that they whirled around in mid step, with only Miroku faltering a bit. Inuyasha only slicked back his ears in annoyance with the interruption, but was not startled, since he had long sensed the pathetic human lurking in the brush. He had only thought they would pass by the miserable wretch, and that the human would not dare to call out to a demon, even if it was only a halfling.  
  
"What's it to you, human?" The silver haired figure sneered right back.  
  
Curling back a lip with disgust at what the scrawny human male was about to say, the insolent villager threw down the proverbial gauntlet. Or was it the carrot and stick?  
  
"There's one of your youkai buddies running around and killing the people of my village. I want you to kill it."  
  
"What the fuck makes you think I'll do what you say? That's a job for a tajijya. Go hire one, or are you too poor to meet their price?"  
  
The shaggy haired villager gritted his teeth at this blow to his village's pride, and purse. "Teme," he growled out. "That damn demon has already killed the demon exterminators. Its got one of those shards everybody keep hearing about, and we can't do nuthing. Get your collective asses over there and destroy it. I know this group is renowned for its collection of the Shikon no Tama shards."  
  
During the whole of the spitfire volleys, Sango and Miroku's heads were whipping their gaze from one contender to the other, in an attempt to keep up with the challenging conversation. When the last word had been bit out by the human, they almost face faulted when Inuyasha almost seemed to be pondering the possibility of going on a side-quest.  
  
"INUYASHA!" came in dual stereo from the more responsible figures of the 'pack'.   
  
"What?! I was only thinking about it. It's not like I would really leave Kagome in the lurch like that." and then the hanyou goes on to mutter to himself, although the others heard as well, "she probably deserves it if I did go off and get more shards. She was the one who ran off after our fight. She probably went tripping straight into Sesshoumaru's grasp."  
  
While still in a mild inner contemplation, he reached up and absentmindedly pulled off the small fuzzy body connected to the head with the sharp teeth grinding over his skull. Chucking Shippo over his shoulder back toward Sango, the hanyou added to his bemused thoughts. The pup is getting bigger. Normally his mouth could only stretch a quarter of the way around my head.  
  
The nameless village youth could only stare in dumfounded shock. What the hell? The Inu-tachi were passing up a rumor on the Shikon shards? Oh shit! The world is coming to an end!  
  
The last the houshi and the tajijya saw of the little prick was a dust trail going off into the wilder parts of the forest, and only a voice trailing back at them, screaming in demented hysteria. Obviously, his universe just tilted on its axis, and he couldn't handle the change.  
  
Inuyasha just snorted and decisively nodded his head back in the direction they were originally headed. Just one more day's travel, barring any unforseen problems cropping up.  
  
One more day Kagome, then I will have you back in my arms.   
  
And then right on the heels of that thought came another.  
  
And then I can shake you silly for getting caught by my bastard of a brother. What the HELL were you doing? Why didn't you call out for me?  
  
Inuyasha also conveniently forgot that he was the reason in the first place she was so distraught.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"Oh Kagome! There you are. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"  
  
Said caught miko froze in the middle of her stalking ranting anger to look up to Marisa, bearing down the hall on her. Just when her erstwhile maid clutched a hand to her forearm in an effort to hurry her charge back to the room, Asoiharu rounded a corner and spied what he thought of as a lowly servile youkai accosting his new friend. Regardless of how pretty the chit was, she had no right manhandling the noble human miko in such a familiar way.  
  
And calling her by her first name nonetheless! Without an honorific!  
  
"Girl!" he barked authoritatively, "You will unhand Kagome-sama at this instant! If you do not treat Lord Sesshoumaru's guest with the proper respect as she deserves, I will have to bring this matter up before the lord himself."  
  
Marisa was startled with the appearance of the foreign cutie and so let Kagome's arm slip from her grasp, but she was not intimidated by what this....She hesitantly took a sniff, and then grinned. Mink. Vulpine, just like her. And younger, to boot.  
  
Kagome just took a step back to observe the interaction between her new friend, and her maid. With the instincts that were common to almost all of her half o f the species, she sensed a possibility for mega amounts of embarrassment combined with romance.  
  
Asoiharu felt like he was being sized up by one of the greater predatory youkai in anticipation of a fight. He had always had the suspicion that in a match between evenly powered male and female youkai, the female would always win. They were just.........vicious, when provoked. If the gleam in both the kitsune's and Kagome's eyes were any indication, he had just stepped into a viper's den. Now all he had to do was stay still and quiet and not step on any proverbial tails if he wanted to get out of this alive, or at least in one piece.  
  
When the tension in the corridor seemed to skyrocket, Kagome finally decided to break the silence.  
  
"Bwa ha hahahahah!!! You two are just precious!" she exclaimed when two stares of matched incredulity were cast her way. "Asoiharu, thank you for trying to protect me from my own maid and friend. The sentiment is appreciated, if wholly out of place. Marisa, I would like the pleasure of introducing the estimable Asoiharu-san of the - what was it again, the Tanris Scout family of the Western Lands.  
  
Marisa blushed with the male's gaze on her, and Asoiharu noted the importance the austere but laughing human made with the order of introductions. She had placed the maid in the supposedly higher ranking position in the greeting formula. That either meant that he was wrong in his original assumption that the kitsune was only a servant, or that this girl meant a great deal to the miko, and wanted to show their friendship in the most polite way available in this situation.   
  
Regardless of which of the options were correct, the sable mink found it in his best interests to up his flattery and charisma, for he had just made a grievous faux pas. To this end, when he bowed upon his turn in the introduction, his face was flushed with a berry hint.   
  
"And my dear mink, please meet Marisa-chan, a kitsune of surprising talent and warmth of heart and my closest friend in these few days since I've been here."  
  
"Ano, forgive me then, for my harsh words, Marisa-san. I was under the impression that Kagome-sama was being accosted unnecessarily."  
  
With a big grin on her face in light of a noble bowing down to her and apologizing, the kitsune felt that she could behave magnanimously toward this male, since he was only acting in the defense of her Kagome-sama.  
  
"All is forgiven, Asoiharu-san. However, I must ask Kagome to follow me, since she hasn't readied herself for the ball, and we are wasting time here."  
  
At this point, Kagome stopped with the observation, and started with the interaction.   
  
"That's just it, Marisa-chan, I wasn't invited to the ball! I was on my way to go give Sesshoumaru a piece of my mind when we ran into you. That sleaze-ball poofy-tailed arrogant youkai has another thing coming if he thinks he can present me as a trophy during the banquet and not allow me the right to attend the ball like a normal guest." All through her rant, there was a low growling coming from the miko, that was somewhat disturbing to hear by the two youkai. Humans were just not meant to go that low on the voice scale without being immanently pissed off or having some youkai blood.  
  
"Ano, Kagome?"  
  
"What?!" she barked, and then immediately looked contrite. "Gomen ne, Marisa-chan. I'm just a little worked up over this."  
  
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You were invited to the dance. You just never went back to your room to change. The invitation was delivered personally by Lord Sesshoumaru, but since you weren't present, he left it on your bed."  
  
A few seconds went by while the human sent this new information into her processor.   
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yes, 'Oh' my lady. Just what were you doing, anyway, that kept you from coming back?"  
  
"Pish. Don't be angry with me, onegai. I wanted to meet Asoiharu's parents here. We were going to get that out of the way, since I promised him at the banquet and then I was going to crash the party." And thinking to herself, Kagome completed the thought. Perhaps make a big scene in the midst of everything and hopefully embarrass Sesshoumaru. Crap. Now that I think on it, that would not be a very smart thing to do. Its full of youkai that would not take it too lightly for a human to be making a fuss of things. And I know I'm not strong enough to go up against even a fraction of those guys attending. C'mon Kagome, you must think of these things before jumping into a situation. That's what Inuyasha would do, and then berate you afterward for.  
  
At this point, Kagome was repeatedly smacking herself lightly in the head with a fist, causing Marisa to exchange one of those 'looks' with Asoiharu. As in 'what have we gotten ourselves into?' looks.  
  
The mink took it upon himself to reschedule everything so as not to disappoint the fair ladies before him. His youthful disposition disliked too much conflict among the womenfolk.  
  
"Kagome-sama, why don't you drop by my family's quarters tomorrow, then? That way we all can attend the dance. I know afterward everybody will all be too tired to do anything else."  
  
"Hmm, sounds like a good idea. My mornings are busy, so can I meet your family for lunch? We can dine with Rin, since I already have to do so."  
  
"Agreed. I shall let my parents know post-haste. Now that I know you are in capable hands, fare thee well." he said to Kagome before turning to Marisa. "And I hope to see you again as well, sometime, Miss. Let me make up for my boorish behavior previously."  
  
Marisa gave a slow blink before her girlish tendencies got the better of her. She giggled, to which Asoiharu gave a slow smile full of potential heat.   
  
The mischievous mink took his leave leaving the flustered somewhat older kitsune to her friend's tender mercies.   
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
And what tender mercies they were, Marisa was contemplating as she pinned another lock of her favorite charge's hair up for the new day's training.   
  
Tugging a little harshly caused a yelp of discomfort from Kagome, but it brought a smidgeon of joy to the maid.   
  
"Come on, Marisa, you know I was only teasing, last night, right?" Kagome whined at her most piteous.  
  
"Even if you were jesting, some of those things you did not need to say." Even if they were true. Perhaps she was lingering a tad overlong on the physique of the mink youkai. But still. It was the principle of the thing!  
  
"All right. Changing the subject. At the ball did you see - " Asoiharu, she thought "-Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
"Hai, I did. Got to stand in his presence for a whole twenty minutes before he moved off. That guy is down-right reticent despite his icy good looks."  
  
"Really?!" This was news to the maid. Normally, Sesshoumaru cannot stand anyone outside of the cardinal lords for more than five minutes. Hmm, and Kagome has taken notice of his even features as well. Her secret hope does seem to have a chance of coming true. Perhaps. Oh wait, Kagome was still speaking.  
  
"- and just before he walked off, I had mentioned how those kappa of the Eastern lands could not stop glaring at me during the entire meal. It's very disconcerting to try to eat when someone just wants to tear your head off is just only a few tables away. Before that, he had a somewhat amused look on his face when I had commented on how bad Asoiharu's parents' quarters looked. I mean, this castle has over thousands of rooms, surely one halfway decent suite is unoccupied."  
  
It was at this point Kagome stopped to inhale. Marisa was stunned. Now she knew why castle gossip informed her of those kappa that were sentenced to the far reaches of the northern wing. It was far easier to lose one's way there than at any other point in the castle, because there were no maps of the surrounding area to be found on any of the walls.   
  
This was further evidence for her suspicions that her lord had more than a passing interest in the miko. This was his way of protecting Kagome. She mentions a discomfort, and he makes it go away, as easily as that.   
  
Hey, what does this bode for Asoiharu and his family, then? What will solidify her prediction is if the mink's family is transferred to better quarters only on the human's say-so. Here is hoping!  
  
"Kagome? Did you have fun at the ball? Did you dance with anyone?"  
  
At this, Kagome looked a little disappointed.  
  
"Don't tell me no one asked you to dance?!"  
  
"NO! That's not it. A couple of Asoiharu's friends asked me, but I couldn't."  
  
"Why not?" Marisa asked, curbing a little bit of jealousy at the thought of someone dancing with the sable youkai.  
  
"I don't know how to dance like you guys do in this time!"  
  
Nani? 'This time?' Marisa shunted this tidbit away for further perusal, in order to concentrate on her line of questioning.  
  
"So you just became a wallflower during the entire ball?"  
  
"Nah, not even. I circulated and met some pretty interesting people. There was this one jiggly blob-like youkai......... He was ugly and icky as sin, but he had one of the best melodic voices I've ever heard. Pretty nice too.   
  
"A lot of the middle nobility were snobby as hell, but I just pulled an eyelid on most of them. They had no idea what it meant! Must be a human thing. I guess they thought they had nothing to gain from associating with a mere human, even if I was a miko. Probably scared out of their britches as well.  
  
"Some of the lower nobility kept trying to toady up to me. I can tell right away. Too many people like that in the real world for me not to know about it. The high nobility I just don't know about. They're either of the suspicion that I'm out to get them all, or they're just amused at me. Sometimes I can see that they really want to be friendly, but their rank puts them in a position where they can't easily accept friendship. Those I just pity."  
  
Marisa finished with the tightly pinned bun before turning to Kagome's side and tapping a delicate finger against the side of her mouth. "It seems that you've had a full night. Are you sure you've had enough sleep for the day? I think I see some bags under your eyes." She teased.  
  
"Uwahee?! Marisa! You're terrible!" Kagome made a half-hearted swat in the kitsune's direction. 


	15. Kagome Practice

Author's Note: All right now peoples. So far, I've gotten to fourteen chapters, all seemingly well thought out, and extensively written, but what is the conclusion I have so far? Fourteen chapters, and we're only two or three days into the story. That is exceedingly slow by anyone's measure, and even I, the author, am getting tired of it. Who else is with me?!  
  
I'm going to try and speed things up a bit. Believe me, I've got an extensive plot on file, with some subtle twists that I hope you all will like. Also, as a goal or game plan for the rest of the story, what I call the 'Inuyasha arc' will span the whole of this fic Kagome Hurt. Near the end, I will be crossing series, and finish the story with something like a multi cross cliffhanger. Then, to get the whole of the story, you'll have to read three separate accounts of the trials and tribulations of each of the main rivals to understand what will happen when everything converges again.   
  
Confused? I hope so. But you will understand in the fullness of time.........Or when I can explain it better to myself. Whichever comes first.  
  
  
  
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 15  
  
"Itai!! Hitori-san! I thought we were going to work on my speed, not my pain thresh-hold."  
  
"Ah, Kagome-chan. How can you expect to become quicker if there is no incentive to goad you? Pain is an excellent motivator in all regards. Plus, it has the added bonus of letting you accustom yourself to being hit, so you can ignore the pain all the easier, and still be able to function. The first step in any battle is to accept the fact that you will be hurt, and then move on."  
  
Grrrr, Kagome thought to herself. C'mon, girl. You knew this before you started training with Hitori-san. He's right too. I've got to stop acting like a wuss. There's no way Sesshoumaru would act this way, and sure as hell Inuyasha would only make the most hideously irritating comments. All-right. Time to think less about momentary pains, and more about tactics. There's got to be a way to get an edge over Hitori-san, even if it comes with a few more bruises.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
That is it, child. Think your way through this fight before making your move. After a while, the defenses will become reflex to you, and you will be able to concentrate on the holes in your attacker's fight.  
  
Hitori could only be amazed at this human girl. Her speed is quite admirable, but there was one other thing that raised his level of esteem in her. Her mind was a quick and powerful tool. Once it was turned to the task at hand, and she forgot the rest of the silly thoughts cluttering her mind, her analytical skills were frightening to behold. Even now, the old battle-scarred youkai could see the many avenues of attack and defense flitting through her mind.  
  
Her movements became surer, her actions more stealthy.......Ooh look, she's decided on a plan of strategy. First, feint, parry parry, - what the hell?!  
  
Hitori's pupil had just surprised the heck out of him. Instead of being able to read each of the maneuvers in her eyes as he had been able to do the previous two days, she had just shut him out. Her irises had quickly shaded themselves to a glacier's inner hue, masking her thoughts to her sensei. Her eyes did not move, and gave nothing away. If he didn't know any better, the girl could have been struck blind.  
  
  
  
Momentarily confused, the old male's hesitation almost cost him a detrimental strike to the arm. It was only with the limits of his resources that he could pull the limb so that it missed by a fraction of a hair's-breadth.   
  
Leaping quickly a few paces away, Hitori raised a hand and made the prearranged signal for a halt in the sparring.  
  
Kagome, with a slight crease in her brow to indicate her wariness at such a sudden stop, lowered her quarterstaff to a minor defensive/neutral position. Upon the cessitation of the battle, she blinked, and her normal azure baby blues were centered once again on her old teacher.  
  
"Child, how is it you learned the art of 'Still Soul'?"  
  
"Still Soul?" she echoed in query.  
  
Frowling, the elder knelt down in his previously known 'sensei - position' and motioned her to do likewise.   
  
"Hai, teshi (is that the right word?). You have learned to mask your inner thoughts from appearing on the surface of your eyes. It is a technique only an elite few youkai can learn, and I have only seen it on one other human other than yourself in all my centuries of martial education."  
  
"I don't know what you mean, Hitori-san. All I was thinking was how to get beyond your staff in order to strike at you. I know that you've got so much experience on me, I thought that was why you could tell what my next move would be. I dunno, somehow, my thoughts went a little hazy, and my limbs knew exactly what was needed in order to break through your guard." After a little concerned pause, she added, "What, did I do something wrong?"  
  
......  
  
......  
  
......  
  
"NO! You did nothing wrong at all, child. I think that you have just surprise this old inu, that's all. You've made me very happy to have a pupil like you for my last student."  
  
Kagome almost looked like she wanted to blush, but again, her eyes swirled to their lighter, and more creepily beautiful hue. With this so named technique in place, she easily overcame her instinct to redden with the praise.   
  
Yes, quite so. This seemingly weak human had made her mentor very proud indeed. Now back to work.  
  
"Up, teshi. Let us move to unarmed combat. With you being the one unarmed."  
  
A single beautiful, heartfelt groan lauded this change. Ah, it was good to teach again. Such music to his ears!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
Sesshoumaru, at that very moment, was doing some thing that he normally would not ever be caught doing. (NO ITS NOT ECCHI YOU PERVS!) The esteemed lord of the Western Lands was in his study pacing, while keeping an ear out for all would-be intruders who would undoubtedly dare to presume to request favorous boons from him.  
  
To put it lightly, he was being hunted within his very own domain!   
  
Blast and damnation! If it were not for those pesky rules which the cardinal lords had to obey, he would boot those lowlife bloodsucking (its kinda funny about that; some of the youkai actually do need to drink blood) guttersnipe 'nobles' (and he mentally sneered the last part) out of his castle and be damned with them.  
  
The only highlights in his life, not that he would ever admit, were his impromptu visits with his ward, threatening and enacting bodily harm to Jakin, and keeping an eye on his newest investment and her entailing procedures.  
  
After all, if he had to board the chit, and put up with her........antics, of which visions were dancing in his head, then he ought to put her presence to good use. That was what made him better than his mongrel sibling, and that was a part of the defining factor of why his family, and him in specific were the ruling body of the Western lands!  
  
On a lesser side note, the icy male thought to himself, there is no reason to belittle the massive amounts of power his bloodline wields. Sesshoumaru privately gave up a silent prayer of thanks to his long ago ancestor Harumi Tai, who originally took the throne from the previous line of snake youkai who held the Western lands. Where that great and noble Inu youkai came from, no archive or text said, but he showed up at one of the regional courts with power bleeding off in the air, challenging the right to the title. Family lore was also quite reticent on that matter. It was almost like a conspiracy to cover up Harumi's origins......... But that was just idle conjecture. That information was lost to the sands of time.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
In a hidden room not too far away, a plaque could be seen over the table on which the ancient artifacts were held. Engraved in precise, but foreign kanji, the words 'temporal grains of silica' could be read by any......Who knew what it meant.   
  
In the midst of his dusting of the plaque, Kooranai gave a hearty sneeze. After utilizing his handkerchief, the kitsune looked back to his job, gave a sharp exclamation in anger, and banged a hand on the wall. THAT, in turn tipped over his flimsy bamboo ladder, causing him to come to a jarring halt on the floor, inches away from the table leg which held his precious legacy. One more inch to the side, and he would have upset the entire table, and likely crashed the 1000 year old (plus some) .......thingie.  
  
The old man, holding his breath, slowly started to release it, as he realized the worst had not come to pass. Only to sneeze, once again and make some more work for him to do.  
  
Now we know why the poor old man is always seen dusting the artifacts!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- 


	16. Kagome Left

A.N. Well geez, skimp on the comments, why don'tcha?  
  
Oh, I'm also thinking of upping the ratings on this story. Some of the curse words just slip in there, and I'm pretty much brain dead on which level is actually what, so better safe than sorry, no?  
  
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 16  
  
Finally, he thought. The inu-tachi was just now coming up on the cultivated lands that were his brother's domain. It had been at a frantic pace the mixed group had traveled at, and it was not without its travails.  
  
Not only did they have to traverse leagues of demon infested wilds, but they also had to fight off the assorted irate villagers with a grudge against hanyous, as well as fending off Naraku twice in one day. For some reason, that conglomeration of youkai was able to find their little group a lot more easier without Kagome around. The evil hanyou always seemed to home in on the jewel fragment that Kagome had entrusted to the houshi. Why she split their stash of shards, Kagome had explained as something called a contingency plan, whatever the hell that was.  
  
It was only by the skin of their teeth that they were able to hang onto the shards.  
  
As the distance between the hanyou's group and the castle lessened, a little nagging sensation unearthed itself in the back of Inuyasha's mind. Little connections in his mind were snapping together into a cohesive whole. Such facts as the increased youkai movement in the Western Lands when his brother would not tolerate anything out of the ordinary. The presence of youkai normally native to the other three provinces were also glaring reminders to the hanyou that something was amiss.  
  
Right when the Sesshoumaru's castle peeked up over the horizon, Inuyasha snapped his fingers.  
  
"Shit! That's supposed to happen this year!"  
  
Miroku turned a sly eye to his temperamental friend.  
  
"What? This was the year you were supposed to grow a brain? Or how about tact and stealth?"  
  
Completely absorbed in his own inner ruminations, Inuyasha replied seriously, "No, but this year my bastard of a brother is supposed to host the demon court."  
  
Sango exchanged a silent mirth-filled look with her own personal pervert houshi *cough cough crush - cough*, before the half-demon's words registered.  
  
"There's a demon court?" The remaining humans echoed.  
  
"Well, yeah," the dog-eared boy replied with a 'no-duh' tone of voice. "What, you think all us demons were uncivilized loners?"  
  
Miroku started to look thoughtful as he considered answering in the positive when Inuyasha let out a squawk of indignation and swatted the houshi upside the head.  
  
"I'll have you know that there is a reason why I've always wanted to become full demon. Not only does it involve gaining greater strength and speed, but it also allows you nominal entrance into the court."  
  
Sango asks thoughtfully, "so what is to be found at this demon court, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Oh not much. Only that it allows you to be exposed to some of the greatest powers in all four of the lands, and is a chance for business, money, land, goods, marriages and alliances to be made and exchanged.  
  
"There's also an optional tournament near the end and the winner get some pretty good prizes. Land, wealth, reputation, and the ability to use one of the items that the Tai family to absorb one tenth of the power of each of your opponents that you defeated."  
  
The houshi perked up at this. And waved a hand to get attention.  
  
"Who's the Tai family and why would they let other demons use this mystical item?"  
  
By this time, the group had paused underneath an orchard tree. Inuyasha was stepping on Shippo's tail to keep him from rushing off to the castle and getting himself killed in his search for Kagome. Miroku slung Kagome's pack down on the ground and was rubbing his shoulders, wondering how such a frail looking girl was able to carry all that weight and keep up with the group. Sango had Kirara on her lap and was petting her while leaning against the tree, both of them taking advantage of this impromptu break to rest a little while Inuyasha actually answered something without snapping.  
  
"I'm Tai, baka!" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
Oops, thought too soon.  
  
"But Inuyasha, how can you be Tai?" Sango inquired.  
  
"You guys never bothered enough to ask me my last name, did you?" the silver haired male asked huffily, and a little hurt.  
  
Shippo piped up from his pinned spot, "No, doggie breath, we all knew your name was Inuyasha Baka."  
  
Inuyasha growled and whapped the kit upside the head.  
  
"Whelp, better watch what your saying. Kagome isn't here to protect you anymore."  
  
Sango just chunked a rock at the hanyou while Miroku laughed and slumped against Kagome's pack.  
  
"Well, when we get Kagome back, she'll be sure to 'sit' you for that!" the kit whined as he rubbed his head and gingerly held onto his tail with the other hand.  
  
Throughout the fifteen minute break that was all Inuyasha allotted the group, he kept his amber gaze on the castle and tensed arms folded to keep from fidgeting. Soon. Very soon, he promised himself.  
  


* * *

  
Stifling a giggle that would surely her secret, Rin glanced around the corner to a foyer to the outside. Making sure that none were near and that her pursuers were out of sight, she slipped through the exit and crept along the side of the castle wall safe in the knowledge that she was safe. Help was only a scream away if something did go wrong. Besides, this was her Sesshoumaru-sama's land. No one would dare attack him there with Kagome giving her nominal support.  
  
Also adding to this sense of security, although the little girl child did not consciously know of it was the fact that while any of the demons from the other lands did not like humans, or even actively hated them, they would be the first to jump into a fight to help Lord Sesshoumaru's ward in hopes that it would gain allowances in the subjects that matter to them.  
  
No, Rin was safe. But what she was not safe from was a kitsune maid, a rather mischievous mink male, and a miko that were all on the hunt to tickle poor Rin if they won this game of hide and seek.  
  
'If I hide out here,' Rin thought to herself, 'then Kagome-neesama would have to search the castle first before thinking to go outside.' And with a giggle the precocious child giggled to herself. Rin is so smart! Kagome- neesama said so!  
  


* * *

  
Ok, this was starting to freak Sango out.  
  
The closer the group got to the castle's walls, the more youkai they encountered. While normally this is a very bad thing, that would not freak her out. Even snarls at their human presence was acceptable and considered normal.  
  
What was scaring the tajiya was the fact that after the varied demons saw them, did their snarly 'I hate humans' schtick and moved to eradicate them from Lord Sesshoumaru's land, they would pause upon seeing the platinum hair of Inuyasha and his amber eyes.  
  
SNIFF SNIFF, they would go, and like magic the battle forms and stances would relax. By no means would the youkai smile or act favorably, but outright hostility would cease.  
  
When Sango looked incredulously at Inuyasha, the male just lifted a lip in a sarcastic smirk.  
  
"This half blood of mine is more than just a curse to me. It also is a sign to others that I am of the house of Tai. None of those who wish to remain at this season's court would attack the blood of Tai while my brother is hosting and we are on his land."  
  
And in the middle of his short explanation, he calmly sidestepped an arching wad of acidic spit, causing it to splatter sizzling on the ground near their feet.  
  
"Doesn't keep these snobs from looking down on me, but at least we can get to the front door without hold up."  
  
Miroku and Sango were looking shellacked, but still wary of those around them. Shippo just rode on the tajiya's shoulder gaping around at all the different species like a child at the zoo, safe in the knowledge that they couldn't hurt him.  
  
The Inu-tachi arrives at the outer gate and inters the main courtyard with no problem. By this time, one of the brighter youkai had gone to dispatch a message to Sesshoumaru that the mongrel half brother was in the area and Sesshoumaru meets Inuyasha outside.  
  
Stepping regally from the main entrance, Sesshoumaru looks haughty as always. The very definition of cool and collected. A diamond hard angel come to earth.  
  
From across the entire massive length of the courtyard, Inuyasha starts the 'conversation' with a demand of what the bastard had done with Kagome, and if she was injured then only the lord of hell would have mercy on Sesshoumaru's soul and all that stuff.  
  
Sesshoumaru only calmly demands the Tetsaiga as ransom. Inuyasha counters with a demand to see kagome and if she's all right. Sesshoumaru gives an uncharacteristic sigh and is about to messenger his command for the miko's presence when Rin rounds the far corner of the castle at a run.  
  
The little girl was still playing hide and seek, but it has somehow evolved into a game of tag. Asoiharu, the nice mink that was Kagome's friend was the first to spot the child and was giving chase in his more exotic mink form. While still humanoid, his features had turned more feral, and was just this side of transforming into his own giant vulpine.  
  
Inuyasha, seeing that Sesshoumaru would do nothing, (the lord knew that the mink wouldn't harm his ward) raced to save the human from being ripped to shreds by the slavering youkai. About halfway there, Kagome exits a door found halfway between Rin and Sesshoumaru and Rin squeals, calling her Kagome-kaasama in her haste to reach a 'safe port'.  
  
Ringing her little chubby arms around Kagome's thigh, Rin grins up at her foster mom and Asoiharu just continues his chase.  
  
Inuyasha sees all this in slow motion. At first, he thinks that Kagome is going to be destroyed while under Sesshoumaru's gaze as the hanyou knows he can't reach his chosen human in time to save her from the mink youkai.  
  
Asoiharu just sees his friend and the darling human child and instead of mutilation and mayhem that Inuyasha expects, he sweeps the females up into a hug and they all laugh, as carefree as can be, and all without noticing Inuyasha.  
  
Sesshoumaru is in a mild fit of pique, but doesn't let it show, since, come on, he's the lord of the western lands. But he still doesn't like his chosen human being manhandled by the lowly child of one of his scouting families. He does, however, like seeing his 'baby' brother get his knickers in a twist.  
  
Inuyasha seethes, and Miroku and Sango look on horrified at this seeming about face from their friend. She's there, sitting cozy in the household of their almost number one enemy, and she doesn't even notice that her friends were there to save her.  
  
The unrelenting tenseness of the situation combined with the constant surprised they were forced to undergo had strained their normally calm and patient personalities. This was just too weird.  
  
The hanyou has something snap inside of his mind. That bitch was fraternizing with the enemy, has picked up another child, is letting another male paw all over her, was living comfortably at his brother's hospitality and was wearing these elegant kimono's and not her normal super short fuku.  
  
Catching Kagome's attention with a roar, he yells at her.  
  
"You bitch! What the fuck do you think you are doing? I bet you've joined Sesshoumaru and are only playing along so that asshole can get his grimy hands on my Tetsaiga!"  
  
When Kagome looked shocked at these accusations, her expression only seemed to confirm something to Inuyasha. He never let her speak, only continued to spout his ill conceived beliefs.  
  
"You were just a shard detector to me, wench, and there is someone else that can do that just as well without betraying me to my own brother! That's it, bitch, don't come back. Kikyou is going to help from now on and I hope you annoy Sesshoumaru to death so he puts you out of your misery just to save his eardrums."  
  
And just when her shock was starting to give way to anger and rage, her stormy azure eyes iced over. Internally, Kagome knew that she had best find out now exactly how he thought of her. Power goes to the knowledgeable, and if she was going to refute each and every argument her first love had, then she had to know what he really thought of her. Only, her excellent plan had one teeny tine fault. It needed the mutt to stay there for her to respond. Inuyasha did not comply with this requirement. He turned around and flashed back into forests carrying with him the Tetsaiga and a chunk of her heart. This last fight had just seriously injured any possible suit he might have had with the miko that inwardly he really loved.  
  
Kagome, turning her icy gaze to the rest of the tachi, ended up scaring Miroku and Sango with her chilly gaze that was somewhat reminicient of Sesshoumaru himself.  
  
The houshi and the tajiya exchanged a gaze. Both were thinking the same thing. Their Kagome might just be under a spell, and those eyes were pretty much freaking them out as a sign that they were right. Strategical retreat seemed to be their best option so they could regroup.  
  
Sango hesitated though, before following through. With one last sorrowful glance at her friend, she made sure that Kagome was so far well treated, and even loved by the human Rin. The miko would be all right for the time being.  
  
It took the strength of both Miroku and Sango to drag Shippo away from the still tableou of the courtyard. The little kitsune was crying and wailing for his mommy. Her eyes didn't scare him. Her scent was still the same as always, and her love for her not yet adopted kit shown from below the ice and unnatural stillness of her stance.  
  
When the little fox was out of sight and the last echo of his cry reached her ears, the hardened layer over her eyes visibly cracked. Those in the courtyard were stunned as they were treated with a massive flood. The more perceptive realized that this rush of jasmine scent and night power was the taste of overwhelming sorrow in the human. To some, it was more delectable than the scent of fear itself, and to others, it was more painful to feel this coming from such a strong figure of power to them.  
  
None but Sesshoumaru were able to track the miko, since with the swiftness of he leavetaking, she dissappeared to normal demon sight.  
  
The icy demon lord was of several minds with this twist in his plans.  
  
On one hand, he cursed the fact that he didn't get Tetsaiga.  
  
He did manage to upset his brother though, so that was to the good.  
  
On another hand, somewhere deep inside, a chibi lord was doing a happy dance. His favorite *ahem* investment would be able to stay longer and he would have more time to .........  
  
To do what?  
  
Get to know her?  
  
Mold her feelings and character to better suit him?  
  
Sesshoumaru's entire mind quieted in an attempt to listen to a very secret whispering the back of his thoughts.  
  
To get her to fall in love with him, as he has already done with her? 


	17. Kagome Found

A.N Hmm, not many people remarked on Sesshoumaru's declaration, even if it were only to himself. It leads me to assume I timed it about right, so the self acknowledgment was neither too early nor too late.

Speaking about lateness, I think I shall stop apologizing about the tardiness of my chapters, since it gets a little repetitive after a while. And since I'm consistent in my lateness, wouldn't I also be on time? Hmm, something to think about.

Ah well, on with the show!

Kagome Hurt: Chapter 17

The next two weeks were trying on those close to rapidly chilling miko. At first, Sesshoumaru expected the ningen to collapse on herself in her grief like any other woman would in the same situation.

He was both surprised and curiously disquieted by the fact that she did neither of the above. Kagome took to wearing her icy calm expression and mentality to mask her roiling emotions inside.

Marisa and Asoiharu were taken aback at this abrupt change in their warm-hearted friend, and after the first week of constant worry, the new friends took to plotting ways of dragging their mutual friend out of her shell.

Only Rin was allowed admittance beyond Kagome's suddenly stilled world, and could bring back a faint resemblance of her previous nee-chan and somewhat kaa-san every once in a while.

During Rin's continued education, Kagome would unbend enough to finally laugh. If not the whole-hearted one from before, it was still more than the silence that rang when in her presence. Rin responded and subconsciously encouraged the miko's lightening up by doing very well in her lessons.

The child learned a good chunk of primary school lessons in those short weeks, so that she now could do simple arithmetic, sound out words and recognize quite a lot of kanji.

The only problem was that as soon as Kagome walked out of the schoolrooms, she would revert to her present facade.

While her mental behavior disturbed her circle of friends, Sesshoumaru and Hitori could not complain on several of the results this period of calm wrought on the miko. Her concentration levels soared in her lessons, and soon the aging teacher had to do more dodging and blocking than was comfortable.

Sesshoumaru also made it a point to include the raven tressed girl's presence during the Demon Court parties, meetings, etc. Apparently, she had found a place there as something of a hostess, which took quite a load off the Western Lord's mind. All of the little but important details were taken care of, and all he had to do was give tacit approval. Several of the noble youkai found that many of their issues or details could be handled easier if they were polite to the human and went to her for resolving. Asoiharu's family greatly benefitted from his connection as a friend, and others of the nobility saw this and acted accordingly.

Marissa eventually had the rest of the servants approach the miko when decisions had to be made, and Kagome rose to the occasion with solutions that were simple, elegant, and very effective. When she suggested alternate ways of running tasks, they would be attempted, and if they worked, then implemented. More changes occurred during that time than were rejected. As the solutions she suggested were pulled from her experiences in the future, Kagome told none of how she came to think of them. No one would truly believe her if she did, and she risked her seemingly precarious position if the nobles thought that their liaison became unstable.

No one asked either.

-------

Kagome's mind was thinly divided into two parts after Inuyasha's devastating declaration.

The main one that others saw was calm, cool unto icy fridgidness, and completely focused on what had to be done. The other part, underneath this protective shell, was awhirl with conflicting emotions, doubts, and rages.

However, as the first month of the Demon court drew to a close, the whirling slowed as the ningen thought things through.

Summed up, her conclusions are as follows: She has been left by her first love, and her so called friends have left her to Sesshoumaru's grasp. But then, maybe things weren't so bad. Maybe things are better here, at the castle. She has a place here, helping Rin, and finding her place in the castle's running. Even Sesshoumaru has been kind in his own way.

The Western Lord respects her skills, if not her humanity, and he hasn't thrown her over for an already dead ex.

In an effort to foster the demon lord's goodwill - er, tolerance, Kagome decided to explore a bit more of the palace and get some of the hidden wings and rooms back into working order.

It was her belief that the reason why the castle 'eats' so many guests is because parts of it were so neglected that they become hazards even to demons.

To this extent, we find our calmly determined miko wandering a dark hall with a torch in one hand, and the other trailing along a wall, searching for discrepancies that would indicate a door. Several times before such a manner had netted her entrance to secret passageways or hidden rooms, all filled with dust and other nasty remains from past digested guests.

The icy demon lord had felt a brush of some odd warm emotion when during one of Kagome's excursions, she had asked him to accompany her. Of course he squashed the feeling, but he did deign to walk with her. Nothing was really spoken, but then, nothing had to be said.

That beginning stroll spawned a hidden need in the Taiyoukai. Lately the similarly reserved figure found an urge to absorb some minute portion of the miko's presence and time each day.

That evening was one of the increasingly rarer strolls where she was unaccompanied. A silken handkerchief was tied across her lower face to protect her nose from the prevalent dust that could be found in the nether portions of the castle, and her clothes were a derivative of her exercise kimonos. Made of lesser quality cloth than those battle garments, they still shamed the mass produced clothes found in her century, as these too were silks and gorgeously patterned cottons.

Her trailing hand was gloved with a thin leather, as previous experience taught her that in these neglected corridors, an unguarded hand would pick up splinters from the walls quicker than pissing off a youkai would get one killed.

It was through these thin gloves that Kagome's fingers caught on a latch, at waist height, which was not visible to her human eyes in the torchlight. Bringing her light source closer, she was barely able to make out the outline of a door.

The miko extended her rapidly developing aural senses outward to detect any onlookers, and when she found none, tripped the catch to open a panel in the wall.

What opened in the wainscotting was a dark passageway draped in ethereal silk spiderwebs wafting gently in a draft as the path depressurized.

A faint floral scent met Kagome's nose embedded in the musty breeze.

Intrigued, she stepped forward with her gloved hand in front to ward off the webs. Turning to look back at the corridor she just left, Kagome got a faint niggling sense that she might be forgetting something.

With her eyes still on the open doorway, her suspicion was confirmed as the panel began swinging closed behind her as its counterweight lowered after its mechanized timer expired. Kagome swiftly interposed her foot in the door with halted the closing process abruptly. Only a slight pressure hindered her foot, and Kagome was smart enough to not let all her escape routes be closed before she found another.

Her solution to the automatically closing door was to leave her slipper propping it open. And since she absolutely refused to walk around a darkened hidden passage with no protection on her foot, she stepped out of her outer kimono and ripped a hands width strip of cloth from the hem and wrapped it around her exposed foot and toes. She wriggled them a time or two to make sure her circulation was not cut off before declaring herself fit to explore again.

Kagome turned back to the beckoning darkness beyond her circle of light. Behind her iced over eyes, a faint flame of excitement of discovery burned, hidden to all except those who knew her the best.

As she moved through the twisting passages, her sense of direction calmly told her she was making her way somewhat back to where her rooms were situated in the castle. Along the way, her torch revealed little spyholes in the walls as well as secret doors, but they were always to empty or unused rooms filled with signs neglect and aged decay.

When she finally arrived at what seemed like a fork with two dead ends, Kagome felt something of a shiver run up her spine. Not quite sure what it all meant, the miko nonetheless felt something of a surety that she was meant to be there, and was on the verge of discovering something great.

'Right or left?' she thought to herself.

Both passages were equally dark but something caught her interest. The miko knelt down to run her gloved hand along the floor. No dust was revealed on the leather.

Looking back a few feet, she saw a clear demarcation between a recently swept and dusted floor and what she had previously walked through.

A puff of air blew her handkerchief away from her face momentarily as she sighed. This was just getting more and more confusing. She rose to her feet again and caught herself before she started with 'eeny meeny miney moe'.

Out loud, she murmured, "Oh forget it, I choose left."

And left she went.

It was not a long passage. The left hand fork ended in another door with a knob in plain sight, since there was no reason to hide it in an already hidden passageway.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the door mechanism. Curious. Why was a doorknob found in the feudal era? Wasn't technology only progressed so far as to shogi doors and weighted panels for smooth closings?

Shifting the torch to her other hand, the wary miko reached out with her ungloved one and rested her fingers lightly on the polished metal. Yes, it was real and not just an illusion. She extended her senses once again, trying to get a feel of the room beyond where she was standing.

Nothing registered to her tingling senses other than a vague sense that she should go in. Almost like it was whispering, 'discover me!'

Just as she gripped the knob and turned, her eyes caught a plaque just above the door. Her mind barely registered the kanji for what seemed like 'temporal grains of silica' before her eyes fell on something centered on an altar-like table.

Kagome gasped.


	18. Kagome Dazed

Kagome Hurt: Chapter 18

It was...

It was...

"What the hell is a computer doing in Sengoku Jidai!"

* * *

An aged head jerked up from the ancient scrolls he so loved. Furred kitsune ears with lengthened sidelocks of hair very much characteristic of the old flicked back in shock and irritation as the demonic sentry scrolls on his wall activated, alerting the old kitsune of an intruder in his most sacred of rooms.

Grumbling in his haste to chase off the pest and possibly mind-wipe him into forgetting about the room and its artifacts, Kooranai never once gave thought to the possibility that it was the one person who he had wanted to enter the room in the first place.

* * *

Kagome was thinking perhaps she had been dropped into that gaijin author's rabbit hole... Heh, more than she already was...

After all, where else but in some type of lucid dream could she claim to be the hostess and captive of a deadly statuesque demon lord, a miko of some powers, an ex-shard hunter for that idiot inu-jerk, a supposed reincarna-... un... maybe she should just forget about reciting the litany of catastrophes that was her life. She was already in a constant state of turmoil, no need to get further depressed.

With a hand clamped over her mouth to stifle the one small burble of hysterical laughter that escaped, Kagome took a few steps further into the room.

"'Come into my parlor' said the spider to the fly," she murmured.

Feeling as though her hand would pass without restriction through the image her mind had conjured, Kagome was only half surprised when her nails clicked against cold plastic and glass.

She blinked, and when nothing happened, she blinked again.

Her other hand lowered to grip the table while the other that was in contact with the monitor trembled. It too descended, pausing on its graceful way to stroke the regularly placed tiles known only to those of her century as the keys on a keyboard.

Kagome gave her head a hard shake and stiffened her knees.

She walked around the table, taking in every angle of the desktop computer trying to verify its authenticity. Up until she realized it possessed no power cord, she was beginning to believe that despite appearances it existed in that time.

Eyes narrowed in perceived victory. This had to be a very advanced illusion or trap. There was no way it could be real. Only someone of that era would not know of the machine's need for electricity, and there was no way to conceivably provide it.

"Okay, Kagome... Now we back away very slowly and hope you didn't set anything off."

Her bones almost leapt out of her skin as a merrily decrepit voice sounded from behind her.

"My lady HAS triggered something, but fret not, it was merely a personal alert that someone was in these sacred chambers."

After her initial fright, the miko had whirled to face the speaker. A lined face, brittle greyed hair, tipped ears and a creepy eager 'kind-old-man' smile were somehow familiar to her.

Kagome blinked as a name surfaced like a leviathan from the deep, slowly and ponderously.

"Marisa's grandfather? Ko... Koora...?"

She trailed off hoping he would fill in the blank without her sounding too rude.

A wry smile cross his crinkled features.

"Kooranai, mistress. And as you can see," he went on, waving a gnarled hand in the 'artifact's' direction, "I have been tasked with the maintenance of these curious items and the ancient scroll from Lord Sesshoumaru's distant ancestor."

This last was also punctuated with a gesture to a smaller side table where a yellowed rolled parchment had almost escaped the miko's attention.

As her fingers went to trail over the well-kept record, Kooranai explained further, in hopes that finally he would be able to solve this generation spanning mystery.

"This lowly keeper has poured over the manuscript time and again, but it still escapes my comprehension, my lady. It appears to be sectionalized into three separate accounts, each in a different tongue."

Kagome turned a scrutinizing eye on the aging Kitsune.

"I - may open this?" she queried.

A quick and eager nod saw to it that his overgrown ears flopped most childishly back and forth with the demon's assent.

"Please do, lady. It has been in my family's keeping for so long... And we still know not its significance. It is only said that a 'distinguished miko with uncanny habits' could open it. It has been very difficult indeed to get a miko without having to kill her for her efforts to purify us, let alone a miko of 'distinguished and uncanny habits'. Please, lady Kagome, you've got to help me! I'm old and I don't want to expire without the knowledge!"

"..."

Kagome could only raise an eyebrow before stifling a snort.

"Lets have a look see, jii-san, but I think you'll outlive us all."

Under the youkai's approving eye, the raven-tressed miko picked up the scroll and unrolled it to reveal the first line:

'Habia una vez, una muchacha era muy triste...'

Shocked as can be, Kagome's eyes traveled further to the next paragraph where she found:

'INSERT GERMAN PHRASE HERE: TO GET THE ELECTRICITY TO RUN THE COMPUTER, ONE MUST HARNESS HER MIKO ENERGIES...'

And the last paragraph, which was the only one Kagome could efficiently translate started with modern English:

'And now, dear priestess, that you can produce usable electricity, power the computer as I've written and access whichever files you wish. I entrust unto you my diaries I've kept on file and an explanation for this tool that I hope my successor will use wisely. Good luck young miko, and good life, Rukio Tai.

The miko was dazed to say the least.

"Ano, Kooranai-san? Can I take this with me for a bit? I wish to study it further."

The kitsune blinked twice at this request, then in a disheartened voice, "So you can't read it then?" His entire demeanor had crumpled a few degrees.

Kagome quickly looked him in the eye to portray her sincerity.

"Oh no, I can read some of it no problem. Its just that the first two paragraphs need some simple translation."

The ancient guardian's eyes grew so big that the wrinkles on his face grew wrinkles of their own.

"Truly, Miko-sama! Many of my line have already attempted translations and have never seen nor heard of any of the languages from those that inhabit the lands of the Nihon-jin."

One of the miko's increasingly rare smiles broke through her face like a bright ray of incandescent light on a cloudy day.

"Have you looked to over the seas then? You know there are other lands than just that of our beloved Japan."

At this the aged youkai looked scandalized.

"THOSE barbarians!" he cried in a rising tone of voice. "B-but, it was written by Sesshoumaru-sama's honored ancestor, one of the Tai's! Why would one such as he know ought of a primitive tongue?"

Kagome looked amused at Kooranai's reaction.

"By the looks of it, jii-san, not only did 'SHE' know a barbarian's language, she knew three. And by her hand, her name was Rukio."

The kitsune grumbled under his breath about knowing none of the Taiyoukai's lineage by that name, so it must have been a lowborn cousin or bastard or something.

Kagome just crushed the oncoming giggle with ruthless precision and tapped the scroll again.

"So do I have your permission to remove this from the room, good sir?"

And after further grumblings and a pointed desire to look up the ancestor lineage scrolls again, permission was granted. Before she could leave though, a gnarled hand gently caught the sleeve of her outfit.

"Miko-sama? If-no, when you discover the meanings of the words written within, would you consent to sharing them with this humble kitsune...without a month's time in between?"

That last part was asked on the sly, in a faintly teasing yet chastising tone of voice, calling on the miko for forgetting her promise to the elder on the night of the first banquet.

The expression in her eyes warred between amused abashedness and a returning sad light.

"Un," she said with a nod before gifting the old youkai with a hesitant half smile and slipping out the door. The one she left behind massaged the area over his heart.

"This old demon wishes the miko Kagome some happiness to be found her in this court of youkai. It is a sad thing when a creature with such light falls into shadowed coolness. Or indeed, that her looks retain the beauty but whose source changes from vibrant fire to dazzling ice... Yes, this Kooranai hopes for luck."

* * *

A.N. Heh, I've no excuses for the long silence, but at least I haven't forgotten this entire writing thing, ne? Anyways, I hope I haven't shocked some people with how my ficcie is going, or the fact that I've introduced an OC, even if she's long dead by now.

Next chapter gets into further intrigues with Sessy-chan, reincorporates Shippo, and lets Kago do something she's been wanting to do since the beginning of the story.

And for any of those who might wish to help, could someone send in a teaser I could put for my story summary. I've looked at it again, and feel that it doesn't do Kagome Hurt any justice as it is, and despair of summing it up in three lines or less. Help please?


	19. Kagome Broaches

Kagome Hurt: Chapter 19

An oddly composed Kagome retraced her steps through those hidden corridors that brought her such a startling discovery. With the truly delicate parchment carefully situated under her arm, she retrieved her slipper and made sure the hidden door closed properly with her on the public side of the common hallway. A quick glance around helped to embed the nondescript junction in her memory as she also wrote a mental memo to ask Kooranai about a swifter route to gain access to that computer.

Ye gods.

It still boggled her mind to think about the paradox waiting for her in that room. So many questions were engendered just by that simple piece of appliance common in her era. None of the least of which included just who Rukio Tai was.

The reason why a miko was needed seemed obvious to her. This far into the past, useful electricity had not been harnessed, and while a miko's abilities could encompass such a feat, with no reason to try, no one had thought about it. She just itched to get her hands on the diary the parchment indicated was recorded on the computer.

The primary obstacle to that goal was in getting the scroll translated. Secondary was to actually follow and understand the directions in order to provide the electricity needed.

But then again, even before that, Kagome's recently logical mind provided a caveat to her primary obstacle. She did not have the capabilities to translate the Spanish and German paragraphs here in the Feudal Era. That meant she'd have to go home. Ergo, she'd have to convince Sesshoumaru to let her go, which opened a vastly different can of worms.

Before the stunning accusations from Inuyasha had caused her to mentally develop in such a fashion, the original Kagome would have just waltzed up to the Youkai lord and demanded her freedom, never mind the fact that she had obligations, self-imposed or otherwise. With her icy detachment from fiery emotional responses, Kagome took another mental step back from the situation and realized she would have to come up with a very solid reason or justification for her returning to her 'lands'.

Just as she rounded the corner in the hall to her room, her door opened to emit a large mound of clothing seemingly hovering over legs clad in a maid's outfit in demure style and subtle colors. Right on the heels of the first, another mound of clothes exited followed by the chiding voice of Marissa.

"And remember now, those are the Great Miko Kagome-sama's garments so be extra careful not to damage them. I want them laid out so that I can inspect them before we put them away."

Only a low grumbling answered from the two moving mounds, but compared to what a harassed maid could sound like, this was a distinct sign they felt the mistress they currently were serving actually deserved the care Marissa was insisting on.

Kagome watched in bemused confusion from the shadows only a few yards away as the twin mounds of the clothes she had incidentally gathered during her stay here moved off in the opposite direction.

Marissa whisked back into Kagome's room and when the miko moved to the doorway, she saw the maid delicately packing toiletries, the hair accessories she used for the court banquets and other assorted odds and ends.

"Why are my clothes being absconded?"

There was a small 'eep' as Marissa whirled to the doorway with demon's swiftness. Kagome felt only the slightest smirk forming on her face. She had been able to hide her scent and actions from a youkai, and track Marissa's movements through a combination of her training and miko instinct. Even though she was now clothesless, Kagome was pleased with the only minimal mischief she allowed herself these days.

"My lady!" Marissa began, but quickly ducked her head in a manner that exposed a small portion of her throat due to the chastising look the miko gave.

"Erm, Kagome..."

A raven winged brow arched, but she didn't reply.

"Sesshoumaru-sama has ordered that you move into a different room. He said that this room was needed to house a late coming lower Lord."

At this, those raven brows decided to meet in the middle and squish the skin in between. Marissa just looked slyly at her mistress waiting to see if she understood the implications.

Kagome cautiously asked, "So... If a lord is to be given this room," she pauses looking at her somewhat austere surroundings, "Does that mean all of the lesser rooms have been taken?"

Kagome was still a bit puzzled over Youkai etiquette that insisted those who did not have a high fixed position like the Cardinal Lords had to start on a somewhat equal footing and progress socially as their lord found value in their services.

As she thought it through, Marissa's smirk grew and she began fussing over the items to be transported again.

If this lower lord needed her room, which was certainly better than a good majority of the others, then that meant all of the lower caste rooms were taken. If she had to move, then that would mean only the higher caste rooms were left. She was moving into a higher caste room?

"A suite, you silly ningen. Lord Sesshoumaru is showing that he thinks you have value. Certainly more than any lower lord who could not arrive in a timely fashion."

Kagome directed a cutting eye toward the maid who had finished with her fussing and was herding the miko toward the door. As the two women exited, they left behind a bare room ready for occupancy and a lingering jasmine and night scent that had been absorbed over the course of the miko's stay. That lower lord would certainly feel soothed during his nights.

The door smoothly shut as the muffled words of the kitsune to the miko faded into the distance.

"You'll just love the terrace. It overlooks Rin-chan's suite across the inner gardens and is in the family's wing..."

------

The one and only icy, imperturbable stoic demon lord Sesshoumaru was back to doing something in his study he wanted no one to witness. His movements were swift, elegant, deadly even with their conservation of energy despite the fact that the pacing itself was due to - nerves.

Uh-huh. Sesshoumaru was currently just a wee bit nervous. His face and eyes would never show it, as ingrained as the habit was, but his legendary control over his body had silently frayed over the course of the day. Ever since he had done the unthinkable, and made a foolish command. Now he was waiting for the fruits of his labor to come storming into his office demanding an explanation. One he was all too loathe to give, since it would mean delving into the exact reasons why he had chosen to evict his miko hostess from her comfortable locale.

Over the course of her month's stay at his castle, Sesshoumaru had only recently found himself patrolling the halls in close proximity to her room when her presence had not intersected with his for a prolonged amount of time. During those patrols as he called them, very important those patrols, the Lord had noticed the necessity of roaming a fair bit before arriving at the miko's hall.

In his subconscious where his chibi-lord lurked, it was an entire waste of time just to travel from his side of the castle with the high caste suites all the way over to her wing despite his phenomenal speed. Somehow, these thoughts melded into a decree reminiscent of that mongrel when the late lower lord arrived and presented him an opportunity.

The icy male froze mid-step.

The faintest hints of jasmine snaked subtly into his study. It seems the chit was not even bothering to hide her approach. For some youkai, it might appear to be an insult, that she felt they weren't able to sense her under normal shields and circumstances. But Sesshoumaru, as much as it galled him to admit, even to his chibi-lord, knew the miko's habits. She was more likely respecting his position and abilities he held. She wouldn't be able to sneak up on him anyway, so why bother? If, by some hades induced fluke, she did approach without him knowing, it was his obligation to dispose of the threat to his lands. Again, so why bother?

By the time the night power in her scent matched the jasmine, the Taiyoukai was as composed as the block of ice Kagome so often compared him to. He was seated at a table when he bid the miko entrance. That positioning could mean several things. He could believe that whoever was with him was of no threat. It could mean that the Cardinal Lord admitted he was in fact 'lower' than the other occupant... Or...

Or, it could simply mean that he was comfortable with Kagome's presence. That he trusted her subconsciously enough to put himself at a momentarily weak position so that he could appear busy and not nervously anticipating her questions.

An gamine face popped through the doorway, azure eyes shielded but curious. Her glossy hair fell over a shoulder and its silken lengths rippled with the mellow light of the lamps and candles. She studied his face. His attention was presumably on the scrolls and assorted reports before him.

With no further invitation forthcoming, Kagome padded lightly into the study closing off the study after crossing the aperture.

When the stubborn male only flicked a gold eye in her direction, as much acknowledgment as she was going to get, Kagome sighed and seated herself on a cushion opposite the demon lord with the table between.

"I have a request."

The reply was immediate as Sesshoumaru completed a brush stroke creating a character in the youkai script.

"No. I am not allowing you to relocate once again. Dissension will not be sown among the servants which will occur if you insist upon moving after all they have done."

He never looked up. Confidence or cowardice?

"It... It isn't about changing rooms, Lord Sesshoumaru."


End file.
